The Terps released their basketball schedule for next season. It includes 15 non conference games and the usual 16 ACC games for a total of 31, just like last season.
The nonconference schedule isn't very good. The marquee games will be two games in the semifinals and finals/consolation of the College Basketball Experience tournament in Kansas City. The possible opponents for those two games are Missouri, UCLA, and Michigan State. After that the only major conference opponent will be Illinois. The Terps face them at the Comcast Center in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge in a rematch from last year's challenge. The BB&T classic matchup is against Virginia Commonwealth. VCU was good last year, beating Duke in the NCAA Tournament, but they lost two of their top three players off of last year's team.
I'm not all that worried about the lack of marquee opponents, though I'd like to see the Terps involved in at least maruqee home and home series each year. No, the bigger problem is that the schedule could be really bottom heavy. Games against Savvanah State (RPI #289), Morgan State (#303), Delaware (#306), and North Florida (#333) could signifcantly drag down the team's RPI and SOS numbers which wouldn't bode well when tournament time rolls around.
The team has a good chance to run through the nonconference schedule with only one loss. Even in a down year for the ACC, 22-9 (8-8) heading into the conference tournament would be hard to snub. Hopefully the scheduling won't hurt the team. I expect them to win 9 or 10 conference games, in which case they'll lock up a bid barring a complete collapse in the nonconference.
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Monday, August 20, 2007
No Quarterback
With less than two weeks to go until the Terps kickoff against Villanova in the 2007 season opener, there is still no starting Quarterback. RS JR Jordan Steffy is still number one on the depth chart, followed by RS SO Josh Portis and RS SO Chris Turner, though possibly not in that order. Coach Friedgen has pushed back an announcement a few times already, though we might know the starter by the end of the week.
Who knows why Fridge hasn't made an annoucement yet. Is Portis (or Turner) pushing Steffy? Does Fridge want to give Portis more of a shot before going with Steffy? If the decision is still in doubt, I'd like to see the top two split time in the first two games. What's the use of playing teams like Villanova and Florida International if not to evaluate your personell? Well, there is the automatic win as an incentive, but still. Give both QBs a chance to show what they can do in a game situation rather than practices or scrimmages.
Both Portis and Steffy have some limited collegiate experience. Steffy played in a few games back in 2004 as a true freshman. He also played a couple of series against William & Mary last season, failing to impress anyone. Portis got limited time as a true freshman for Florida in 2005, mostly carrying the ball but also throwing a few passes. Of course neither has much meaningful experience or any type of a performance record to judge from.
The old adage is that if you think you have two quarterbacks, you really have none. But like most sports adages, it's simplistic crap. Hopefully in this case it's a matter of having two guys good enough to start.
Who knows why Fridge hasn't made an annoucement yet. Is Portis (or Turner) pushing Steffy? Does Fridge want to give Portis more of a shot before going with Steffy? If the decision is still in doubt, I'd like to see the top two split time in the first two games. What's the use of playing teams like Villanova and Florida International if not to evaluate your personell? Well, there is the automatic win as an incentive, but still. Give both QBs a chance to show what they can do in a game situation rather than practices or scrimmages.
Both Portis and Steffy have some limited collegiate experience. Steffy played in a few games back in 2004 as a true freshman. He also played a couple of series against William & Mary last season, failing to impress anyone. Portis got limited time as a true freshman for Florida in 2005, mostly carrying the ball but also throwing a few passes. Of course neither has much meaningful experience or any type of a performance record to judge from.
The old adage is that if you think you have two quarterbacks, you really have none. But like most sports adages, it's simplistic crap. Hopefully in this case it's a matter of having two guys good enough to start.
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Sean Mosley is a Terp
Anyone who follows Baltimore High School hoops knows who Sean Mosley is. He's been a big time player since the minute he stepped onto the court for Saint Frances Academy as a freshman, making the Baltimore Sun's All-Metro team all three years so far in his high school career.
Mosley has been highly sought after for several years now. At various points it looked like Mosley might end up playing for either Georgetown or Syracuse, but in the end the Terps snagged Mosley as he announced his intentions to play for the Terps at a press conference yesterday picking the Terps over Cuse, Florida State, Virginia Tech, and Clemson among others.
Mosley is considered by most recruiting services to be a top 50 player, and anytime the Terps can grab a player of that quality from their own backyard it's a big deal. Mosley is the third player in the last two recruiting classes from Baltimore, joining fellow Baltimore Catholic League stars Braxton Dupree and Dino Gregory from the class of 2007. It's also the first player the Terps have nabbed from Baltimore powerhouse AAU program Team Melo, home of '07 players Donte Green and Malcolm Delaney as well as 2009 recruit Naji Hibbert.
Mosley is a shooting guard with a broad range of skills and a toughness that will play well under Maryland Head Coach Gary Williams. Mosley could have an instant impact, even in a backcourt which will already have four or five established players by the time he arrives on campus. For more about Mosley, read Matt Bracken's excellent report on the press conference in his excellent recruiting blog on the Baltimore Sun's website.
For the Terps this may or may not be the end of the 2008 recruiting class. They still have one scholarship left to give and may focus on another post player, presumably Quintrell Thomas of NJ or Ralph Sampson of GA. The Terps might also elect to save that scholarship for 2009 class that features many highly ranked prospects listing the Terps among their favorites.
Mosley has been highly sought after for several years now. At various points it looked like Mosley might end up playing for either Georgetown or Syracuse, but in the end the Terps snagged Mosley as he announced his intentions to play for the Terps at a press conference yesterday picking the Terps over Cuse, Florida State, Virginia Tech, and Clemson among others.
Mosley is considered by most recruiting services to be a top 50 player, and anytime the Terps can grab a player of that quality from their own backyard it's a big deal. Mosley is the third player in the last two recruiting classes from Baltimore, joining fellow Baltimore Catholic League stars Braxton Dupree and Dino Gregory from the class of 2007. It's also the first player the Terps have nabbed from Baltimore powerhouse AAU program Team Melo, home of '07 players Donte Green and Malcolm Delaney as well as 2009 recruit Naji Hibbert.
Mosley is a shooting guard with a broad range of skills and a toughness that will play well under Maryland Head Coach Gary Williams. Mosley could have an instant impact, even in a backcourt which will already have four or five established players by the time he arrives on campus. For more about Mosley, read Matt Bracken's excellent report on the press conference in his excellent recruiting blog on the Baltimore Sun's website.
For the Terps this may or may not be the end of the 2008 recruiting class. They still have one scholarship left to give and may focus on another post player, presumably Quintrell Thomas of NJ or Ralph Sampson of GA. The Terps might also elect to save that scholarship for 2009 class that features many highly ranked prospects listing the Terps among their favorites.
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
Hoops scores big commit
About four months after finishing up the 2007 recruiting class, Gary Williams and staff finally scored their first commitment for the 2008 recruiting cycle. But even if the Terps got on the board later than others, it was well worth the wait as the commit was PF/C Terrence Jennings of Mount Zion Academy in North Carolina, rated as the #15 prospect in the country in the Class of '08.
While Jennings would be a great fit for any team in the country, he'll thrive with the Terps. He excels at running the floor - something that is obviously always a part of the Terps gameplan under Gary Williams - while also dunking, rebounding, and block shots. Jennings is a high-quality athlete, but in contrast to other athletic big men, he should be refined enough to help in all facets of the game - offense, defense and rebounding. That's not to say he's a finished product, but he could step right in as a complement to C Braxton Dupree in Maryland's 08-09 frontcourt.
The team will have as many as two more scholarships to give for this year's class. The focus now will likely turn to getting a Shooting Guard, perhaps Sean Mosley of Baltimore or Chris Turner.
Football Terps start the year
The football team opened camp yesterday, less than four weeks before the first kickoff of the year against Villanova. I'll be looking at the season in a bit more depth in the coming weeks as we count down to the first game of the year.
While Jennings would be a great fit for any team in the country, he'll thrive with the Terps. He excels at running the floor - something that is obviously always a part of the Terps gameplan under Gary Williams - while also dunking, rebounding, and block shots. Jennings is a high-quality athlete, but in contrast to other athletic big men, he should be refined enough to help in all facets of the game - offense, defense and rebounding. That's not to say he's a finished product, but he could step right in as a complement to C Braxton Dupree in Maryland's 08-09 frontcourt.
The team will have as many as two more scholarships to give for this year's class. The focus now will likely turn to getting a Shooting Guard, perhaps Sean Mosley of Baltimore or Chris Turner.
Football Terps start the year
The football team opened camp yesterday, less than four weeks before the first kickoff of the year against Villanova. I'll be looking at the season in a bit more depth in the coming weeks as we count down to the first game of the year.
Friday, July 27, 2007
Football News
It was a big week for the football team as Coach Friedgen and staff as the Terps picked up their 8th, 9th, and 10th verbal commitments for the Class of '08. First, on Thursday, WR Kerry Boykins chose the Terps over ACC rivals Virginia and North Carolina. Rivals.com rate Boykins quite highly, tabbing him not only as a four-star prospect, but also as the #22 WR in the country and the #5 prospect in the state of Virginia.
Later that night OL RJ Dill officially chose the Terps over Connecticut. Rivals rated the three-star prospect as the #61 OT in college and the #28 in Pennsylvania. And finally, another three star player joined the Terps today. Gary Douglas, the #21 player in North Carolina as well as the #50 RB in the country joined the Terps as their first running back commitment in the class of '08.
The Terps '08 recruiting class is still very much a work in progress, but with about half the class filled, it looks very promising. The coaching staff has already locked up 3 four-star players plus two more three-star prospects. After getting their first six recruits from Maryland or DC, the staff has collected the following four prospect from other states along the East Coast. With many promising prospects still looking at the Terps the best might be yet to come.
................
The ACC had their media day for football this week. The preseason rankings and all-ACC teams were released. Maryland was picked to finish 5th in the ACC Atlantic, ahead of only North Carolina State. The Terps' two representatives on the all-conference teams are Darius Heyward-Bey and Andrew Crummey.
While it would have been nice to see the team ranked a bit higher, it's understandable that with so many questions the media isn't looking too favorably on the Terps just yet. In reality, Maryland could finish fifth. But the Atlantic should be wide open, and any of the top five teams could finish in any order without qualifying as too much of a surprise. As the time draws nearer I'll like a little more in depth at the conference and where Maryland fits into the picture. Camp opens on August 6th.
Later that night OL RJ Dill officially chose the Terps over Connecticut. Rivals rated the three-star prospect as the #61 OT in college and the #28 in Pennsylvania. And finally, another three star player joined the Terps today. Gary Douglas, the #21 player in North Carolina as well as the #50 RB in the country joined the Terps as their first running back commitment in the class of '08.
The Terps '08 recruiting class is still very much a work in progress, but with about half the class filled, it looks very promising. The coaching staff has already locked up 3 four-star players plus two more three-star prospects. After getting their first six recruits from Maryland or DC, the staff has collected the following four prospect from other states along the East Coast. With many promising prospects still looking at the Terps the best might be yet to come.
................
The ACC had their media day for football this week. The preseason rankings and all-ACC teams were released. Maryland was picked to finish 5th in the ACC Atlantic, ahead of only North Carolina State. The Terps' two representatives on the all-conference teams are Darius Heyward-Bey and Andrew Crummey.
While it would have been nice to see the team ranked a bit higher, it's understandable that with so many questions the media isn't looking too favorably on the Terps just yet. In reality, Maryland could finish fifth. But the Atlantic should be wide open, and any of the top five teams could finish in any order without qualifying as too much of a surprise. As the time draws nearer I'll like a little more in depth at the conference and where Maryland fits into the picture. Camp opens on August 6th.
Friday, July 13, 2007
Gaither to the Ravens
Former Terps OT Jared Gaither was selected in the NFL supplemental draft this week by the Baltimore Ravens with a fifth round selection. It's sad to see a guy who was projected by some to be an eventual first round pick taken in the Supplemental Draft, but after all of the turmoil it's good to see Gaither is going to get his shot in the NFL. And as a Ravens fan, it sure is nice to see another great move by the Front Office. Newsome and Co. get a possible first round talent in exchange for a second day draft pick. Not a bad transaction!
Wednesday, July 4, 2007
2008/2009 Basketball Recruiting
2008
C:
Terrence Jennings (Mount Zion Prep/Play Hard Play Smart) : COMMITTED TO MARYLAND
Ralph Sampson III (Northview/Georgia Stars): California, Georgia Tech, Minnesota, UNLV
Maurice Sutton (Largo/Maryland Spurs): Kentucky, Miami, Clemson, Marquette, Tulane, Duquense
Frank Ben-Eze (Bishop O'Connell/DC Blue Devils): Marquette, Georgia Tech, Clemson, Harvard, Colorado, Pittsburgh, Virginia, West Virginia, Virginia Tech, Notre Dame
Mike Davis (TC Williams/Team STAT): committed to Illinois
Henry Sims (Mount Saint Joseph/Baltimore Stars) : committed to Georgetown (OFFER)
PF:
Quintrell Thomas (Saint Patrick's): Maryland, Marquette, Rutgers, Miami, Seton Hall, Pittsburgh, Houston, Virginia Commonwealth (OFFER)
Steve Tchiengang (Monteverde Academy): Baylor, Notre Dame, Vanderbilt, Oklahoma, Kansas State, Boston College, Texas A&M (OFFER)
Teeng Akol (Our Savior New American/NY Elite): Pittsburgh, Saint John's, Depaul, Kentucky
Laron Dendy (Hope Christian Academy/Team Georgia Elite):
Rodrigo Peggau (Calverton School/Triple Threat): --
Roscoe Davis (Wise/DC Assault): --
Chris Braswell (Dematha Catholic/Triple Threat): committed to Georgetown (OFFER)
SF:
Ray Willis (Westlake/Georgia Stars):
Renaldo Woolridge (Harvard-Westlake HS): Pepperdine, Arizona State
Kris Joseph (Archbishop Carroll): committed to Syracuse
SG:
Sean Mosley (Saint Frances Academy/Team Melo): COMMITTED TO MARYLAND
Willie Warren (North Crowley/Team Texas): Texas, Kansas, Maryland, Baylor, Oklahoma State, Arkansas, UCLA, Indiana, Kentucky (OFFER)
Chris Turner (Winchendon School/D-One Sports): Maryland, Xavier, Florida State, George Mason
Jason Clark (Bishop O'Connell ): committed to Georgetown (OFFER)
Ashton Gibbs (Seton Hall Prep): committed to Pittsburgh
Brian Walsh (Moon/Pittsburgh Storm) : committed to Xavier (OFFER)
PG:
Terrell Holloway (Hempstead HS):
Andre Young: Clemson, Wichita State, Butler, College of Charleston
Darius Gabriel (Notre Dame Prep/Long Island Lightning):
Andre Cornelius (Victory Christian Center HS): George Mason, East Carolina, Charlotte, Tennessee, South Carolina, Mississippi State
Verdell Jones (Central/Fort Sooy No Limit): Depaul, Southern Illinois, Xavier
Miguel Paul (Saint Benedict Prep): committed to Missouri
2009
C:
Greg Echenique (Saint Benedict Prep/NY-NJ MetroHawks)
Andrew Fitzgerald (Towson Catholic/Team Melo): Maryland, George Mason (OFFER)
PF:
Isaiah Armwood (Montrose Christian/Baltimore Stars): Villanova, Maryland
Donte Taylor (National Christian/DC Assault):
Wally Judge (Bladensburg HS/DC Assault): Georgetown, Ohio State, Virginia, Akron, Maryland (OFFER)
Karron Johnson (Mount Zion Academy/Richmond Squires)
Deshawn Painter (Booker T Washington/Boo Williams): Florida, Louisville, Virginia, Oklahoma, Virginia Tech, Ohio State
Daniel Orton (Bishop McGuiness/Athlete's First): Florida, Ohio State, Maryland, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Baylor, Texas, Texas A&M, Kansas (OFFER)
SF:
Terrell Vinson (Montrose Christian/Baltimore Stars): Maryland (OFFER)
Tristan Spurlock (Montrose Christian):
Brian Oliver (William Penn/Playaz): Pittsburgh, Rutgers, West Virginia
Isaiah Philmore (John Carroll/Delaware Sharpshooters): Miami, Delaware
SG:
Kenny Boynton (Blanche Ely/Team Breakdown): Louisville, Duke, Florida, Miami, Florida State, Ohio State, Villanova
Naji Hibbert (Dematha/Team Melo): Maryland, Clemson, Miami, Marist (OFFER)
Maurice Creek (Oxon Hill HS/Triple Threat): Maryland, Marquette (OFFER)
Dominic Cheek (Saint Anthony/Playaz):
Akeem Richmond (Southern Lee HS): --
Leshon Edwards (Towson Catholic/Team Melo): --
PG:
------
C:
Terrence Jennings (Mount Zion Prep/Play Hard Play Smart) : COMMITTED TO MARYLAND
Ralph Sampson III (Northview/Georgia Stars): California, Georgia Tech, Minnesota, UNLV
Maurice Sutton (Largo/Maryland Spurs): Kentucky, Miami, Clemson, Marquette, Tulane, Duquense
Frank Ben-Eze (Bishop O'Connell/DC Blue Devils): Marquette, Georgia Tech, Clemson, Harvard, Colorado, Pittsburgh, Virginia, West Virginia, Virginia Tech, Notre Dame
Mike Davis (TC Williams/Team STAT): committed to Illinois
Henry Sims (Mount Saint Joseph/Baltimore Stars) : committed to Georgetown (OFFER)
PF:
Quintrell Thomas (Saint Patrick's): Maryland, Marquette, Rutgers, Miami, Seton Hall, Pittsburgh, Houston, Virginia Commonwealth (OFFER)
Steve Tchiengang (Monteverde Academy): Baylor, Notre Dame, Vanderbilt, Oklahoma, Kansas State, Boston College, Texas A&M (OFFER)
Teeng Akol (Our Savior New American/NY Elite): Pittsburgh, Saint John's, Depaul, Kentucky
Laron Dendy (Hope Christian Academy/Team Georgia Elite):
Rodrigo Peggau (Calverton School/Triple Threat): --
Roscoe Davis (Wise/DC Assault): --
Chris Braswell (Dematha Catholic/Triple Threat): committed to Georgetown (OFFER)
SF:
Ray Willis (Westlake/Georgia Stars):
Renaldo Woolridge (Harvard-Westlake HS): Pepperdine, Arizona State
Kris Joseph (Archbishop Carroll): committed to Syracuse
SG:
Sean Mosley (Saint Frances Academy/Team Melo): COMMITTED TO MARYLAND
Willie Warren (North Crowley/Team Texas): Texas, Kansas, Maryland, Baylor, Oklahoma State, Arkansas, UCLA, Indiana, Kentucky (OFFER)
Chris Turner (Winchendon School/D-One Sports): Maryland, Xavier, Florida State, George Mason
Jason Clark (Bishop O'Connell ): committed to Georgetown (OFFER)
Ashton Gibbs (Seton Hall Prep): committed to Pittsburgh
Brian Walsh (Moon/Pittsburgh Storm) : committed to Xavier (OFFER)
PG:
Terrell Holloway (Hempstead HS):
Andre Young: Clemson, Wichita State, Butler, College of Charleston
Darius Gabriel (Notre Dame Prep/Long Island Lightning):
Andre Cornelius (Victory Christian Center HS): George Mason, East Carolina, Charlotte, Tennessee, South Carolina, Mississippi State
Verdell Jones (Central/Fort Sooy No Limit): Depaul, Southern Illinois, Xavier
Miguel Paul (Saint Benedict Prep): committed to Missouri
2009
C:
Greg Echenique (Saint Benedict Prep/NY-NJ MetroHawks)
Andrew Fitzgerald (Towson Catholic/Team Melo): Maryland, George Mason (OFFER)
PF:
Isaiah Armwood (Montrose Christian/Baltimore Stars): Villanova, Maryland
Donte Taylor (National Christian/DC Assault):
Wally Judge (Bladensburg HS/DC Assault): Georgetown, Ohio State, Virginia, Akron, Maryland (OFFER)
Karron Johnson (Mount Zion Academy/Richmond Squires)
Deshawn Painter (Booker T Washington/Boo Williams): Florida, Louisville, Virginia, Oklahoma, Virginia Tech, Ohio State
Daniel Orton (Bishop McGuiness/Athlete's First): Florida, Ohio State, Maryland, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Baylor, Texas, Texas A&M, Kansas (OFFER)
SF:
Terrell Vinson (Montrose Christian/Baltimore Stars): Maryland (OFFER)
Tristan Spurlock (Montrose Christian):
Brian Oliver (William Penn/Playaz): Pittsburgh, Rutgers, West Virginia
Isaiah Philmore (John Carroll/Delaware Sharpshooters): Miami, Delaware
SG:
Kenny Boynton (Blanche Ely/Team Breakdown): Louisville, Duke, Florida, Miami, Florida State, Ohio State, Villanova
Naji Hibbert (Dematha/Team Melo): Maryland, Clemson, Miami, Marist (OFFER)
Maurice Creek (Oxon Hill HS/Triple Threat): Maryland, Marquette (OFFER)
Dominic Cheek (Saint Anthony/Playaz):
Akeem Richmond (Southern Lee HS): --
Leshon Edwards (Towson Catholic/Team Melo): --
PG:
------
Saturday, June 30, 2007
Gaither Gone
Well, it's official. OT Jared Gaither will leave school and enter his name into the upcoming NFL Supplemental Draft. It's not really a surprise, as I said before, but it still is a disappointment. His collegiate career didn't start out well when he failed to qualify out of High School. But he did eventually qualify after a year Hargrave Military Academy, coming into the program as a five star prospect. He had an excellent freshman season, but his sophomore season was marred by problems in the classroom and disappointing production, and followed it up with more academic trouble. Maybe he believed the people saying he was set to be a First Round pick this year. Who knows? It's just another case of wasted potential and lost money, but Gaither will still have a shot, most likely. If he works hard, he will play in the NFL, but as we've seen, that is not a certainty.
DJ to the Suns
As expected, DJ Strawberry was selected in the 2nd Round of the NBA draft, going 59th overall to the Phoenix Suns. After testing out well in the athleticism rankings and playing very well in the Orlando pre-draft camp, it had seemed to be a foregone conclusion that someone would take DJ. But as the night wound down, with only two picks left, he had still not been selected. Fortunately, the Suns stepped in and took him off the board a little after midnight.
For second rounders, contracts are not guaranteed. For that reason, the destination for those picked is more important than where a player is picked. The Suns are a seen as being a fantastic spot for Strawberry to land. DJ always thrived in the transition game during his time as a Terp, using his strong defense and his quickness to initiate breaks, where he is a very strong finisher. With the Suns' up and down style, DJ will fit right in with the team. And while Phoenix is a prolific offensive team, they lack on defense where Strawberry could help immediately.
While it isn't yet guaranteed that Strawberry will play in the NBA, it would seem to be almost a certainty. Of the 20 college players taken in the 2nd Round of the 2006 NBA draft, all but three saw action last season. Of those 17 that played in the Association last year, 10 played in at least half of their teams' games, with Craig Smith (formerly of Boston College) leading the way by appearing in
For Strawberry, making the NBA is something that not many would have expected when he came to Maryland in the fall of 2003. Strawberry came into the program as part of a highly regarded five man recruiting class with Mike Jones, Ekene Ibekwe, Will Bowers, and Hassan Fofana. Strawberry was perhaps the most lightly regarded of the five at the time. Jones and Ibekwe were top 30 recruits and Fofana was also a top 75 recruit.
Yet Strawberry was a key contributor from the start, due in no small part to his defense. It's no secret that Gary Williams values defense, especially in young players. It's no surprise then that Strawberry averaged nearly 20 minutes per game, ten more than McDonald's All American classmate Mike Jones.
The next season could have been a big one for Strawberry, but a torn ACL midway through the season limited his development and ended his season after 14 games. And when Strawberry came back for the 05-06 season, the team lacked a solid point guard option due to the early departure of John Gilchrist, forcing Strawberry into a role he was ill-suited to fill. Playing out of position Strawberry had a mediocre year on the offensive end, never quite mastering the position. Too many turnovers by DJ helped doom the team to a second straight NIT.
But this season was different. After declaring for the draft last year, Strawberry came back ready to lead the team back to respectability. Strawberry took over as the team's starting SF, winning multiple ACC Player of the Week Awards and earning 2nd Team All-ACC honors.
Strawberry will not have his jersey raised to the rafters, but he had a very solid career with the Terps, always showing intensity and always playing hard, especially on the defensive end. Here's to hoping that DJ's NBA career will be long and successful.
For second rounders, contracts are not guaranteed. For that reason, the destination for those picked is more important than where a player is picked. The Suns are a seen as being a fantastic spot for Strawberry to land. DJ always thrived in the transition game during his time as a Terp, using his strong defense and his quickness to initiate breaks, where he is a very strong finisher. With the Suns' up and down style, DJ will fit right in with the team. And while Phoenix is a prolific offensive team, they lack on defense where Strawberry could help immediately.
While it isn't yet guaranteed that Strawberry will play in the NBA, it would seem to be almost a certainty. Of the 20 college players taken in the 2nd Round of the 2006 NBA draft, all but three saw action last season. Of those 17 that played in the Association last year, 10 played in at least half of their teams' games, with Craig Smith (formerly of Boston College) leading the way by appearing in
For Strawberry, making the NBA is something that not many would have expected when he came to Maryland in the fall of 2003. Strawberry came into the program as part of a highly regarded five man recruiting class with Mike Jones, Ekene Ibekwe, Will Bowers, and Hassan Fofana. Strawberry was perhaps the most lightly regarded of the five at the time. Jones and Ibekwe were top 30 recruits and Fofana was also a top 75 recruit.
Yet Strawberry was a key contributor from the start, due in no small part to his defense. It's no secret that Gary Williams values defense, especially in young players. It's no surprise then that Strawberry averaged nearly 20 minutes per game, ten more than McDonald's All American classmate Mike Jones.
The next season could have been a big one for Strawberry, but a torn ACL midway through the season limited his development and ended his season after 14 games. And when Strawberry came back for the 05-06 season, the team lacked a solid point guard option due to the early departure of John Gilchrist, forcing Strawberry into a role he was ill-suited to fill. Playing out of position Strawberry had a mediocre year on the offensive end, never quite mastering the position. Too many turnovers by DJ helped doom the team to a second straight NIT.
But this season was different. After declaring for the draft last year, Strawberry came back ready to lead the team back to respectability. Strawberry took over as the team's starting SF, winning multiple ACC Player of the Week Awards and earning 2nd Team All-ACC honors.
Strawberry will not have his jersey raised to the rafters, but he had a very solid career with the Terps, always showing intensity and always playing hard, especially on the defensive end. Here's to hoping that DJ's NBA career will be long and successful.
Sunday, June 24, 2007
June News
It's actually been a pretty busy week in terms of news, but for some reason I haven't got around to posting about it yet.
First off, on Monday, Brian Walsh committed to Xavier. On the surface, it looks like a big blow. Walsh picked the Musketeers over the Terps and St. Joseph's, after it had seemed to be a formality to some that he would declare for the Terps this month. It also looked like Walsh was the coaching staff's top choice to fill the team's need for a pure shooting guard which had opened with Mike Jones graduating and Jeff Jones, once the shooting guard of the future, decommitting during last year's recruiting cycle.
But a story on Walsh's commitment from the Pittsburgh Post Gazette mentioned that:
Mark Schlabach had a story for ESPN saying that OT Jared Gaither is officially ineligible for the upcoming season. Disappointing news, but not terribly surprising to anyone that had followed the situation. The one interesting part was the claim that Gaither was leaning towards returning to school in hopes of regaining his eligibility for the 2008 season rather than declaring for the upcoming NFL supplemental draft. If true, it could be a huge boost to the 2008 team to have another very talented upperclassman to add to the mix. As it is the Terps figure to struggle with depth on the line this season without Gaither.
First off, on Monday, Brian Walsh committed to Xavier. On the surface, it looks like a big blow. Walsh picked the Musketeers over the Terps and St. Joseph's, after it had seemed to be a formality to some that he would declare for the Terps this month. It also looked like Walsh was the coaching staff's top choice to fill the team's need for a pure shooting guard which had opened with Mike Jones graduating and Jeff Jones, once the shooting guard of the future, decommitting during last year's recruiting cycle.
But a story on Walsh's commitment from the Pittsburgh Post Gazette mentioned that:
A few weeks ago, Walsh thought he might be close to choosing Maryland, which had offered a scholarship. But Walsh said the Terrapins held him off, telling him to hold off on a decision until July.This tidbit clearly shows the Terps weren't thinking of Walsh as the number one priority at all, despite having recruited him heavily for the past year. So where will the team turn now? The rumor mill is heating up, and it appears that the Terps might be in very strong shape with tough Baltimore shooting guard Sean Mosley (St. Frances Academy), with the team also recruiting Durham shooter Chris Turner as well. If the Terps can land Mosley - something that appears much more likely than it did even at the beginning of the month, it will be a huge recruiting success for the Terps, their biggest in some time.
Mark Schlabach had a story for ESPN saying that OT Jared Gaither is officially ineligible for the upcoming season. Disappointing news, but not terribly surprising to anyone that had followed the situation. The one interesting part was the claim that Gaither was leaning towards returning to school in hopes of regaining his eligibility for the 2008 season rather than declaring for the upcoming NFL supplemental draft. If true, it could be a huge boost to the 2008 team to have another very talented upperclassman to add to the mix. As it is the Terps figure to struggle with depth on the line this season without Gaither.
Monday, June 18, 2007
Going and staying
With yesterday being the last day for underclassmen to withdraw their name from the NBA Draft and retain eligibility, there was a bit of news today, though not much that was unknown in ACC country. As expected, Virginia guard Sean Singletary will return to the Cavs for his senior year. On the other hand, Georgia Tech freshman Thad Young decided to stay in the draft, joining teammate Javarris Crittenton in leaving the Yellow Jackets after just one season.
The final scorecard on ACC early entries sees Young, Crittenton, Duke sophomore Josh McRoberts, and North Carolina freshman Brendan Wright leaving early for the NBA. Meanwhile, James Mays of Clemson will return to school in addition to Singletary.
The moves mean that Virginia will have a genuine chance to compete in the ACC rather than falling back to 3 or 4 win status. Georgia Tech might have been a favorite to finish second in the league behind North Carolina, but the loss of both of their super freshman make that less likely. GT will still have enough talent to compete, with everyone else coming back including the return of Lewis Clinch and a good incoming recruiting class.
The final scorecard on ACC early entries sees Young, Crittenton, Duke sophomore Josh McRoberts, and North Carolina freshman Brendan Wright leaving early for the NBA. Meanwhile, James Mays of Clemson will return to school in addition to Singletary.
The moves mean that Virginia will have a genuine chance to compete in the ACC rather than falling back to 3 or 4 win status. Georgia Tech might have been a favorite to finish second in the league behind North Carolina, but the loss of both of their super freshman make that less likely. GT will still have enough talent to compete, with everyone else coming back including the return of Lewis Clinch and a good incoming recruiting class.
Saturday, June 9, 2007
2006-2007 in Review
Entering this season, the state of Terrapin athletics was very much a situation where the glass was either half full or half empty depending on how one chose to view it. On the positive side, the Terps were coming off a season where they won three NCAA Championships - men's soccer, women's basketball and field hockey. That success pointed to the overall strength of the Terps' programs.
But at the same time, the revenue sports, men's basketball and football, were both in the midst of a rocky stretch. Football was coming off back to back 5-6 seasons, having failed to qualify for a bowl either year. The men's basketball team won 19 games each of the previous two seasons, but had only 2 NIT berths to show for it, including one that culminated in a first round loss to Manhattan at home. Maryland was, at the time, one of a small handful of BCS programs to miss a bowl and the NCAA Tournament in each of the previous two seasons. Maryland hadn't missed a bowl and the Dance in the same year for 11 seasons.
In college sports, so much of the success can be attributed to the man in charge. I suppose that's true in any sport, but with college coaches ultimately responsible for both acquiring and developing the talent, they have a much larger role than other coaches. Luckily, Maryland has two outstanding coaches in Ralph Friedgen and Gary Williams.
Friedgen's football Terps set the tone for the year with a very strong 9-4 season, capped by a victory in the Champs Sports Bowl over Purdue. The Terps beat perennial powerhouses Miami and Florida State (albeit in down years for both) while also beating three other bowl teams. The season included thrilling, down to the wire wins over Miami, Florida State, Virginia, and Clemson. The team walked the tightrope between success and failure all year, at least until a 24-7 demolition of the Boilermakers down in Orlando to end the season on a high note.
While the last two years had been more successful for the basketball team than the football team (including an NIT Final Four appearance in 2005), more was expected from the basketball program. And rightfully so.
But the team responded. Fueled by the play of its three starting seniors as well as the play of three newcomers (and let's not forget the emergence of Junior James Gist), the Terps started the year strong with wins over Michigan State, Illinois, and Winthrop in November and December. The team looked to be headed for another NIT after starting the ACC season witha 3-6 record. But the team regrouped, running off seven straight ACC victories to end the season, including a sweep of Duke (their second in three seasons), as well as a victory over a top five North Carolina team. Despite a loss to Butler in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, the Terps finished a very strong season with a 25-9 record - the team's best since the '02 National Championship squad.
But what of the non-revenue sports that had been so strong last year? Well, it was definitely a step back, but not a terrible effort.
The women's basketball team returned everyone from their National Title team, but while the season was good, it was ultimately very disappointing. The Terps failed to score a single win against rivals Duke and North Carolina, going 0-4 against the ACC's other flagship programs. The team still headed into the NCAA tournament with 27 wins, good enough for a #2 seed. But in the second round the Terps were dominated by Ole Miss to the tune of 29 turnovers in a surprising, but perhaps not completely stunning, upset. The team still finished with a more than respectable 28-6 record, but more was expected coming off of a championship.
The men's soccer team was not expected to repeat. The team suffered key losses after winning the championship, though they were still expected to be competitive in the brutal ACC. And competitive they were, getting the #5 seed overall in the NCAA tournament before being upset by Notre Dame 1-0 in OT in the Round of 16. The Terps failed to make their sixth College Cup appearance under Sasho Cirovski, but they did finish 16-5-1 as one of 7 ACC teams to qualify for the NCAA Tournament.
The third of the defending champions was Missy Meharg's field hockey team. And repeat they did, winning their fifth NCAA title with a 1-0 win over rival Wake Forest. The team finished 23-2, losing only to fellow Final Four participants Duke and Wake Forest (in the ACC Championship). Just another sport where the ACC showed off its superiority.
In lacrosse, the results were disappointing again. The men's team followed up its Final Four appearance from 2006 with a thrashing at the hands of its little brother UMBC in the first round of the tournament despite the Terps being one of eight seeded teams in the tournament. The women's team couldn't quite get back to where they were a few years ago, but they did finish the season 16-4 before being upended by #2 Penn in the NCAA Tournament quarterfinals.
Baseball started out strong, winning enough early season games to think about having a nice season, but the team collapsed completely as the ACC season continued, finishing just 27-30, dead last in the Atlantic division, and once again failing to make the ACC Tournament. Even Brett Cecil, drafted 38th overall in the MLB Draft by the Blue Jays, was shaky, blowing a number of late leads throughout the season.
The wrestling program continued its rise to respectability with a second place finish in the ACC Championships after a regular season that saw the team go undefeated in duel meets within the conference.
Aside from that, it was a lean year in the non-revenue sports with the cross country, track, softball, golf, swimming and diving, volleyball and women's soccer teams bringing up the rear of the conference. But while that might seem to be a lot of teams that weren't competitive within the conference, it's important to note that Maryland sponsors every single sports contested in the ACC with exception of rowing. This in itself is a nice accomplishment, and hopefully one day the Athletic Department can be successful in building up the sports that lag behind competitively.
All in all, it was a solid season for Maryland athletics. Now let's improve on that in '07-'08 -- Go Terps!
But at the same time, the revenue sports, men's basketball and football, were both in the midst of a rocky stretch. Football was coming off back to back 5-6 seasons, having failed to qualify for a bowl either year. The men's basketball team won 19 games each of the previous two seasons, but had only 2 NIT berths to show for it, including one that culminated in a first round loss to Manhattan at home. Maryland was, at the time, one of a small handful of BCS programs to miss a bowl and the NCAA Tournament in each of the previous two seasons. Maryland hadn't missed a bowl and the Dance in the same year for 11 seasons.
In college sports, so much of the success can be attributed to the man in charge. I suppose that's true in any sport, but with college coaches ultimately responsible for both acquiring and developing the talent, they have a much larger role than other coaches. Luckily, Maryland has two outstanding coaches in Ralph Friedgen and Gary Williams.
Friedgen's football Terps set the tone for the year with a very strong 9-4 season, capped by a victory in the Champs Sports Bowl over Purdue. The Terps beat perennial powerhouses Miami and Florida State (albeit in down years for both) while also beating three other bowl teams. The season included thrilling, down to the wire wins over Miami, Florida State, Virginia, and Clemson. The team walked the tightrope between success and failure all year, at least until a 24-7 demolition of the Boilermakers down in Orlando to end the season on a high note.
While the last two years had been more successful for the basketball team than the football team (including an NIT Final Four appearance in 2005), more was expected from the basketball program. And rightfully so.
But the team responded. Fueled by the play of its three starting seniors as well as the play of three newcomers (and let's not forget the emergence of Junior James Gist), the Terps started the year strong with wins over Michigan State, Illinois, and Winthrop in November and December. The team looked to be headed for another NIT after starting the ACC season witha 3-6 record. But the team regrouped, running off seven straight ACC victories to end the season, including a sweep of Duke (their second in three seasons), as well as a victory over a top five North Carolina team. Despite a loss to Butler in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, the Terps finished a very strong season with a 25-9 record - the team's best since the '02 National Championship squad.
But what of the non-revenue sports that had been so strong last year? Well, it was definitely a step back, but not a terrible effort.
The women's basketball team returned everyone from their National Title team, but while the season was good, it was ultimately very disappointing. The Terps failed to score a single win against rivals Duke and North Carolina, going 0-4 against the ACC's other flagship programs. The team still headed into the NCAA tournament with 27 wins, good enough for a #2 seed. But in the second round the Terps were dominated by Ole Miss to the tune of 29 turnovers in a surprising, but perhaps not completely stunning, upset. The team still finished with a more than respectable 28-6 record, but more was expected coming off of a championship.
The men's soccer team was not expected to repeat. The team suffered key losses after winning the championship, though they were still expected to be competitive in the brutal ACC. And competitive they were, getting the #5 seed overall in the NCAA tournament before being upset by Notre Dame 1-0 in OT in the Round of 16. The Terps failed to make their sixth College Cup appearance under Sasho Cirovski, but they did finish 16-5-1 as one of 7 ACC teams to qualify for the NCAA Tournament.
The third of the defending champions was Missy Meharg's field hockey team. And repeat they did, winning their fifth NCAA title with a 1-0 win over rival Wake Forest. The team finished 23-2, losing only to fellow Final Four participants Duke and Wake Forest (in the ACC Championship). Just another sport where the ACC showed off its superiority.
In lacrosse, the results were disappointing again. The men's team followed up its Final Four appearance from 2006 with a thrashing at the hands of its little brother UMBC in the first round of the tournament despite the Terps being one of eight seeded teams in the tournament. The women's team couldn't quite get back to where they were a few years ago, but they did finish the season 16-4 before being upended by #2 Penn in the NCAA Tournament quarterfinals.
Baseball started out strong, winning enough early season games to think about having a nice season, but the team collapsed completely as the ACC season continued, finishing just 27-30, dead last in the Atlantic division, and once again failing to make the ACC Tournament. Even Brett Cecil, drafted 38th overall in the MLB Draft by the Blue Jays, was shaky, blowing a number of late leads throughout the season.
The wrestling program continued its rise to respectability with a second place finish in the ACC Championships after a regular season that saw the team go undefeated in duel meets within the conference.
Aside from that, it was a lean year in the non-revenue sports with the cross country, track, softball, golf, swimming and diving, volleyball and women's soccer teams bringing up the rear of the conference. But while that might seem to be a lot of teams that weren't competitive within the conference, it's important to note that Maryland sponsors every single sports contested in the ACC with exception of rowing. This in itself is a nice accomplishment, and hopefully one day the Athletic Department can be successful in building up the sports that lag behind competitively.
All in all, it was a solid season for Maryland athletics. Now let's improve on that in '07-'08 -- Go Terps!
Monday, June 4, 2007
2008 Football Recruiting
2008 Terps Football Recruiting
QB
Terrelle Pryor (Jeannette HS, Jeannette PA) - Penn State, Ohio State, Michigan, Notre Dame, West Virginia, Florida, Alabama, Louisiana State, Michigan State, Tennessee, Southern California
Mike Glennon (Westfield HS, Chantilly VA) - committed to North Carolina State
EJ Manuel (Bayside HS, Virginia Beach VA) - committed to Florida State
Ted Stachitas (Nease HS, Saint Augustine FL) - committed to Wake Forest
RB
Gary Douglas (Hillside HS, Durham NC) - COMMITTED TO MARYLAND
Xavier Avery (Cedar Grove HS, Ellenwood GA) - Georgia, Georgia Tech, Auburn, Louisiana State, Tennessee
Averin Colier (Churchville-Chili HS, Churchville NY) - Maryland, Pittsburgh, Virginia, Syracuse, Connecticut, Clemson, Boston College, Louisville, Buffalo, Temple
Isaiah Pead (Eastmoor Academy, Columbus OH) - West Virginia, Maryland, Wisconsin, Pittsburgh, Miami (OH), Louisville, Cincinnati
Kaleb Ramsey (Laurel Highlands HS, Uniontown PA) - Georgia Tech, Pittsburgh
Michael Shaw (Trotwood-Madison HS, Trotwood OH) - Cincinnati, Clemson, Michigan, Nebraska, Iowa, Penn State, Tennessee
Lamaar Thomas (Friendly HS, Fort Washington MD) - Illinois, Maryland, Ohio State, Tennessee, Florida, North Carolina
Kevin Whaley (Salem HS, Virginia Beach VA) - Maryland, Connecticut, Virginia Tech
Ryan Williams (Stonewall Jackson HS, Manassas VA) - Clemson, Tennessee, Virginia Tech, Pittsburgh, Virginia, Maryland, Duke, Connecticut, Notre Dame
Christian Wilson (Montours HS, Mckees Rock PA) - Michigan, North Carolina, Clemson, Virginia Tech, Rutgers
Brandon Barnes (Bunn HS, Bunn NC) - committed to North Carolina State
Mike Cox (Old Farms HS, Avon Farms CT) - committed to Michigan
Brandon Davis (Peachtree Ridge, Suwanee GA) - committed to Central Florida
Tony Gregory (First Colonial HS, Virginia Beach VA) - committed to Virginia Tech
Josh Haden (Friendly HS, Fort Washington MD) - committed to Boston College
Torrey Mack (Statford HS, Statford CT) - committed to Virginia
Demetris Murray (Buford HS, Buford GA) - committed to South Florida
Tauren Poole (Stephens County HS, Toccoa GA) - committed to Tennessee
Jermaine Thomas (First Coast HS, Jacksonville FL) - committed to Florida State
Rashad White (Teaneck HS, Teaneck NJ) - committed to Rutgers
WR
Kevin Dorsey (Forrestville HS, Forrestville MD) - COMMITTED TO MARYLAND
Kerry Boykins (Oscar F. Smith HS, Chesapeake VA) - COMMITTED TO MARYLAND
Darvin Adams (Harrison HS, Kennesaw GA) - Auburn, Georgia Tech, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Wake Forest, South Carolina, Maryland, Alabama, Tennessee, Virginia Tech
Ben Barber (Edison HS, Alexandria VA) - Virginia Tech, Maryland, Virginia
Daniel Bryant (Lawton Chiles HS, Tallahassee FL) - Florida, Florida State, Maryland, Alabama, Iowa State, Florida International, Illinois, UCLA
DJ Coles (Goochland HS, Goochland VA) - Maryland, Virginia, Virginia Tech
Myron Dillard (Los Medanos JC, Pittsburg CA) - Nebraska, Maryland, Oregon State, Iowa State, Kansas State, Southern Miss
Reuben Johnson (Winslow Township HS) - Akron, Boston College, Kentucky, Syracuse, Iowa, Michigan State, Connecticut, Temple, Minnesota
Charles Reeves (Stone Mountain HS, Stone Mountain GA) - Maryland, Auburn, Georgia Tech, Mississippi, Tennessee, Clemson
Kenny Tate (Dematha Catholic HS, Hyattsville MD) - Illinois, Florida, Maryland, Tennessee, Ohio State, Notre Dame
Marcus Thurmond (North Augusta HS, North Augusta GA) - Maryland
Deion Walker (Christchurch School, Christchurch VA) - Maryland, Florida, Florida State, Louisiana State, Texas A&M, Southern California, Michigan, Penn State
Chris Watson
Jamal Wilson (Oscar F Smith HS, Chesapeake VA) - Maryland
AJ Alexander (Altoona Area HS, Altoona PA) - committed to Florida State
Damion Allen (Dr Phillips HS, Orlando FL) - committed to Auburn
Avis Commack (First Coast HS, Jacksonville FL) - committed to Florida State
Austin Fuller (Richlands HS, Richlands VA) - committed to Virginia Tech
AJ Green (Summerville HS, Summervile SC) - committed to Georgia
Todd Harrelson (Oscar F. Smith HS, Chesapeake VA) - committed to North Carolina
Ronald Hobby (Gwynn Park HS, Brandywine MD) - committed to Pittsburgh
AJ Jenkins (Terry Parker HS, Jacksonville FL) - committed to Georgia Tech
Dejuan Miller (Metuchen HS, Metuchen NJ) - committed to Oklahoma
Melvin Ray (North Florida Christian HS, Tallahassee FL) - committed to Alabama
Jacob Stoneburner (Dublin Coffman HS, Dublin OH) - committed to Ohio State
OL
RJ Dill (Trinity HS, Camp Hill PA) - COMMITTED TO MARYLAND
Ricky Barnum (Lake Gibson HS, Lakeland FL) - Florida, Miami, Tennessee, Ohio State, Georgia Tech
Nick Becton (New Hanover HS, Wilmington NC) - Maryland, East Carolina, North Carolina State, South Carolina
Jimmy Bennett (West Potomac HS, Alexandria VA) - Connecticut, West Virginia, Penn State, Michigan State, Virginia Tech, Clemson
BJ Brand (Coffee County HS, Douglas GA) - Georgia, South Carolina
Dalton Freeman (Pelion HS, Pelion SC) - Clemson, Georgia, South Carolina, Virginia Tech, Maryland, Mississippi, Duke, North Carolina State, Wake Forest, Middle Tennessee
Justin Gilbert (Monocan HS, Richmond VA) - Maryland
Cordy Glenn (Riverdale HS, Riverdale GA) - Alabama, Virginia, Arkansas, Louisiana State, Georgia, South Carolina, Maryland
Mike Goodman (Christopher Columbus HS, Miami FL) - Auburn, Florida State, South Carolina, Boston College, Wisconsin, Maryland, Wake Forest, Indiana, Rutgers, Miami, Mississippi
Robert Gumbita (Mount Pleasant Area HS, Mount Pleasant PA) - Buffalo, Maryland
Justin Lewis (Johnsonville HS, Johnsonville SC) - Maryland, North Carolina State, Buffalo
RJ Mattes (Jay M Robinson HS, Concord NC) - from Southern California, Clemson, Virginia, North Carolina, North Carolina State, Wake Forest, East Carolina, Duke, Louisville, Michigan State, Illinois, Miami, Maryland
Joe Pachuta (John Glenn HS, New Concord OH) - Akron, Maryland
Kenneth Page (AC Flora HS, Columbia SC) - Maryland, Clemson, Tennessee, Virginia, South Carolina, Georgia Tech, Duke, Florida, Vanderbilt, Colorado, Auburn, Kentucky, North Carolina, Michigan, Notre Dame
Vinston Painter (Maury HS, Norfolk VA) - Virginia Tech, Florida, Georgia, Miami, Penn State
Omoregie Uzzi (Chamblee HS, Chamblee GA) - Duke, Maryland, Mississippi, Virginia, Alabama, Auburn, Georgia, Georgia Tech
Andrew Wallace (Olympic HS, Charlotte NC) - South Carolina, North Carolina, Illinois, Maryland, Miami, Buffalo, North Carolina State, Tennessee, Wake Forest
John Bassler (Francis Scott Key HS, Union Bridge MD) - committed to West Virginia
Lane Clelland (McDonogh HS, Owings Mills MD) - committed to Notre Dame
Jake Current (Troy HS, Troy OH) - committed to Wisconsin
Art Forst (Manasquan HS, Manasquan NJ) - committed to Rutgers
AJ Harmon (Jefferson County HS, Louisville GA) - committed to Clemson
Josh Jenkins (Parkersburg HS, Parkersburg WV) - committed to West Virginia
TJ Johnson (Aynor HS, Aynor SC) - committed to South Carolina
Kyle Long (Saint Anne's-Belfield HS, Charlottesville VA) - committed to Florida State (baseball)
Nick McRae (Dublin HS, Dublin GA) - committed to Georgia Tech
Graham Pocic (Lemont Township HS, Lemont IL) - committed to Illinois
Matt Sanders (Crestview HS, Crestview FL) - committed to Clemson
Tyler Sands (Boyertown Area HS, Boyertown PA) - committed to Illinois
Ryan Turnley (Hopewell HS, Alquippa PA) - committed to Pittsburgh
TE
Matt Furstenberg (Hunterdon Central HS, Flemington NJ ) - COMMITTED TO MARYLAND
Jonathan Baldwin (Alquippa HS, Alquippa PA) - Michigan, Southern California, Pittsburgh, Notre Dame, Florida, Miami
Chase Clement (ED White Catholic HS, Thibodeaux LA) - LSU, Alabama, Florida, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Tulane, Maryland, Louisiana Tech
Ryan Deehan (Poway HS, Poway CA) - Arizona State, Colorado, Washington, Oregon
Mark Wedderburn (Cardinal O'Hara HS, Springfield PA) - Penn State, Michigan, Virginia, Rutgers, Tennessee, West Virginia, Louisville
Nic DiLilio (Madison HS, Madison OH) - committed to Ohio State
DT
Cody Blue (Wilde Lake HS, Wilde Lake MD) - COMMITTED TO MARYLAND
Teddy Dargan (Milford Mill Academy, Baltimore MD) - COMMITTED TO MARYLAND
AJ Francis (Gonzaga HS, Washington DC) - COMMITTED TO MARYLAND
Masengo Kabongo (Fairfield Prep, Fairfield CT) - COMMITTED TO MARYLAND
Arterio Arnold (Greenville HS, Greenville SC) - Maryland, Marshall, Kentucky
Reggie Ellis (Dunbar HS, Washington DC) - Alabama, Michigan, Penn State, Illinois, Rutgers, Pittsburgh, Maryland, Boston College
Zach Kerr (Quince Orchard HS, Gaithersburg MD) - Maryland, Rutgers, Illinois, Temple, Eastern Michigan, Ohio
Jerel Lowery (Paterson Catholic HS, Paterson NJ) - Maryland, Wake Forest
Bobby Massie (Lynchburg Christian Academy, Lynchburg VA) - Georgia, Clemson, Virginia Tech
Jeff Braun (Winters Mill HS, Westminster MD) - committed to West Virginia
Omar Hunter (Buford HS, Buford GA) - committed to Notre Dame
Moses McCray (Hillborough HS, Tampa Bay FL) - committed to Florida State
Chris Palmer (St. John Neumann HS, Philadelphia PA) - committed to West Virginia
Hafis Williams (Elizabeth HS, Elizabeth NJ) - committed to Notre Dame
Scott Vallone (St Anthony's HS, Melville NY) - committed to Rutgers
DE
Tyler Urban (Norwin HS, North Huntdington PA) - COMMITTED TO MARYLAND
Jack Crawford (Saint Augustine Prep, Richland NJ) - Arizona State, Minnesota, Maryland, Syracuse, Northwestern
Everrett Dawkins (James F Byrnes HS, Duncan SC) - Maryland, Wake Forest
Chase Thomas (Walton HS, Marietta GA) - Georgia Tech, Auburn, Louisiana State, Wake Forest, Stanford
Lasalle Cooks (Pine Castle Christian Academy, Orlando FL) - committed to Purdue
JD Griggs (Piscataway Township HS, Piscataway NJ) - committed to Syracuse
Jeremy Longo (Cardinal Gibbons HS, Fort Lauderdale FL) - committed to Georgia
Nathan Williams (Miami Trace HS, Washington OH) - committed to Ohio State
LB
Zach Brown (Wilde Lake HS, Wilde Lake MD) - COMMITTED TO MARYLAND
Demetrius Hartsfield (Southeast Raleigh HS, Raleigh NC) - COMMITTED TO MARYLAND
EJ Abrams-Ward (Thomasville HS, Thomasville NC) - Boston College, Clemson, East Carolina, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, North Carolina State, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest, Maryland
Alex Bazzie (Northwood HS, Silver Spring MD) - Maryland
Brendan Beal (Liberty HS, Bethlehem PA) - USC, Florida, Boston College, Louisiana State, Ohio State
JB Fitzgerald (WWPHS South, Princeton Junction NJ) - Michigan, Florida, Rutgers, Georgia Tech, Iowa
Shayne Hale (Gateway HS, Monroeville PA) - Michigan, West Virginia, Virginia
Leandre Lance (First Coast HS, Jacksonville FL) - Cincy, Maryland
Jonathan Myers (Greenwich HS, Greenwich CT) - Florida, Michigan
Malcolm Munroe (Coral Reef HS, Miami FL) - Auburn, Georgia Tech, Louisville, Wisconsin, South Carolina, Clemson, Maryland, Rutgers, Central Florida
Latavius Murray (Onondaga HS, Nedrow NY) - Maryland, Boston College, Syracuse, Central Florida, Connecticut
TJ Pridemore (Buford HS, Buford GA) - Georgia Tech, Duke, Mississippi State, Mississippi, Tennessee, Central Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina State, South Florida, West Virginia, Maryland
Robert Quinn (Fort Dorchester HS, North Charleston SC) - North Carolina, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Maryland, Auburn, Tennessee, Florida, Clemson, South Carolina (OFFER)
Etienne Sabino (Dr Michael M Krop HS, Miami FL) - Auburn, Florida, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Miami, Tennessee, West Virginia, North Carolina, Wisconsin
William Beasley (Milton HS, Milton FL) - committed to North Carolina State
Nigel Bradham (Wakulla HS, Crawfordville FL) - committed to Florida State
Ramon Buchanan (Palm Bay HS, Melbourne FL) - committed to Miami
Nigel Carr (First Coast HS, Jacksonville FL) - committed to Florida State
Marcus Dowtin (Fork Union Military Academy, Fork Union VA) - committed to Georgia
Jake Johnson (Stratford HS, Fredricksburg VA) - committed to Virginia Tech
Eric Legrand (Colonia HS, Colonia NJ) - committed to Rutgers
BJ Machen (Hilliard Darby HS, Hilliard OH) - committed to Georgia Tech
Terrell Manning (Scotland HS, Laurinburg NC) - committed to North Carolina State
Donovan Miles (Brooke Point HS, Stafford VA) - committed to West Virginia
Allen Stephens (Halifax County HS, South Boston VA) - committed to Virginia Tech
Bruce Taylor (Myrtle Beach HS, Myrtle Beach SC) - committed to Virginia Tech
Jonathan Willard (Loris HS, Loris SC) - committed to Clemson
CB
Tavon Wilson (HD Woodson HS, Washington DC) - COMMITTED TO MARYLAND
Mike Beckford (Albemarle HS, Charlottesville VA) - Clemson, Connecticut, Maryland, Virginia
TJ Bryant (Lincoln HS, Tallahassee FL) - Alabama, Auburn, Georgia, Louisiana State, Florida, Oklahoma, Southern California, Miami, Florida, Florida State
Cameron Chism (Bishop McNamara, Forrestville MD) - Maryland, Connecticut, Pitt, Syracuse,Boston College
Brandon Harris (Booker T Washington HS, Miami FL) - Miami, Florida, Louisiana State, Ohio State, West Virginia, Tennessee, Southern California
Jarred Holley (Easton Area HS, Easton PA) - Stanford, Syracuse, Iowa, Florida, Illinois, Temple, Connecticut, Michigan State, Virginia, Pitt, North Carolina State, Rutgers, Toledo, West Virginia, Penn State, Maryland, Northwestern, Michigan
Neiko Lipscomb (Tucker HS, Tucker GA) - Alabama, Oklahoma, Georgia, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Maryland
Charles Whitlock (Chester HS, Chester SC) - Georgia, South Carolina, Alabama, Mississippi State, Clemson, Virginia Tech, Maryland, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Florida, North Carolina
Robert Blanton (David W Butler HS, Matthews NC) - committed to Notre Dame
Xavier Brewer (Bartram Trail HS, Jacksonville HS) - committed to Clemson
Andre Ellington (Berkley HS, Moncks Corner SC) - committed to Clemson
Dwayne Gratz (Piscataway HS, Piscataway NJ) - committed to Connecticut
Rodney McCleod (Dematha HS, Hyattsvile MD) - committed to Virginia
Makiri Pugh (Independence HS, Charlotte NC) - committed to Georgia
S
T'Sharvan Bell (Osceola HS, Seminole FL) - Auburn, Clemson, Georgia Tech, West Virginia
O'Neil Chambers (Harmony HS, Harmony FL) - Brigham Young, Maryland, Mississippi State, Texas Tech
Rashard Hall (Saint Augustine HS, Saint Augustine FL) - Louisville, Mississippi State, Maryland, West Virginia
Will Hill (St. Peter's Prep, Jersey City NJ) - Florida, USC, Michigan, Virginia, Maryland, Rutgers, Penn State, Florida State, Miami
Okechukwu Okoroha (Eleanor Roosevelt HS, Greenbelt MD) -Syracuse, Virginia, North Carolina State, Boston College, Penn State, Connecticut, Cincy, Illinois, Akron, Eastern Michigan, North Carolina, Clemson
Marquis Spann (John F. Kennedy HS, Paterson NJ) - Maryland, Akron
Darrell Simmons (Banneker HS, College Park GA) - Florida, Alabama, Miami, Tennessee, Ohio State, Michigan
Brynden Trawick (Sprayberry HS, Marietta GA) - Marshall, Maryland, Mississippi State, Ole Miss, Indiana, Middle Tennessee, Purdue
Bacarri Rambo (Seminole County HS, Donalsonville GA) - committed to Georgia
Peter Rose (Amherst County HS, Amherst VA) - committed to Virginia Tech
Ausur Walcott (Hackensack HS, Hackensack NJ) - committed to Virginia
EJ Whitley (David W Butler HS, Matthews NC) - committed to Virginia Tech
ATH
Sanders Commings (Eastside HS, Augusta GA) - Maryland, South Carolina, Georgia, Auburn
Xavier Boyce (Landstown HS, Virginia Beach VA) - Virginia Tech, Clemson, Auburn, Marshall, Connecticut, Rutgers, Maryland
Brandon Smith (New Brunswick HS, New Brunswick NJ) - Michigan, Rutgers, North Carolina State, Wisconsin, Iowa
CJ Wilson (Lincolnton HS, Lincolnton NC) - Maryland
JT Floyd (JL Mann HS, Greenville SC) - committed to Tennessee
Cameron Johnson (Gonzaga HS, Washington DC) - committed to Virginia
Jamoris Slaughter (Tucker HS, Tucker GA) - committed to Notre Dame
Timothy Wright (Wall HS, Wall NJ) - committed to Rutgers
K
Caleb Sturgis (Saint Augustine HS, Saint Augustine FL) - committed to Florida
Blair Walsh (Cardinal Gibbons HS, Fort Lauderdale FL) - committed to Georgia Tech
QB
Terrelle Pryor (Jeannette HS, Jeannette PA) - Penn State, Ohio State, Michigan, Notre Dame, West Virginia, Florida, Alabama, Louisiana State, Michigan State, Tennessee, Southern California
Mike Glennon (Westfield HS, Chantilly VA) - committed to North Carolina State
EJ Manuel (Bayside HS, Virginia Beach VA) - committed to Florida State
Ted Stachitas (Nease HS, Saint Augustine FL) - committed to Wake Forest
RB
Gary Douglas (Hillside HS, Durham NC) - COMMITTED TO MARYLAND
Xavier Avery (Cedar Grove HS, Ellenwood GA) - Georgia, Georgia Tech, Auburn, Louisiana State, Tennessee
Averin Colier (Churchville-Chili HS, Churchville NY) - Maryland, Pittsburgh, Virginia, Syracuse, Connecticut, Clemson, Boston College, Louisville, Buffalo, Temple
Isaiah Pead (Eastmoor Academy, Columbus OH) - West Virginia, Maryland, Wisconsin, Pittsburgh, Miami (OH), Louisville, Cincinnati
Kaleb Ramsey (Laurel Highlands HS, Uniontown PA) - Georgia Tech, Pittsburgh
Michael Shaw (Trotwood-Madison HS, Trotwood OH) - Cincinnati, Clemson, Michigan, Nebraska, Iowa, Penn State, Tennessee
Lamaar Thomas (Friendly HS, Fort Washington MD) - Illinois, Maryland, Ohio State, Tennessee, Florida, North Carolina
Kevin Whaley (Salem HS, Virginia Beach VA) - Maryland, Connecticut, Virginia Tech
Ryan Williams (Stonewall Jackson HS, Manassas VA) - Clemson, Tennessee, Virginia Tech, Pittsburgh, Virginia, Maryland, Duke, Connecticut, Notre Dame
Christian Wilson (Montours HS, Mckees Rock PA) - Michigan, North Carolina, Clemson, Virginia Tech, Rutgers
Brandon Barnes (Bunn HS, Bunn NC) - committed to North Carolina State
Mike Cox (Old Farms HS, Avon Farms CT) - committed to Michigan
Brandon Davis (Peachtree Ridge, Suwanee GA) - committed to Central Florida
Tony Gregory (First Colonial HS, Virginia Beach VA) - committed to Virginia Tech
Josh Haden (Friendly HS, Fort Washington MD) - committed to Boston College
Torrey Mack (Statford HS, Statford CT) - committed to Virginia
Demetris Murray (Buford HS, Buford GA) - committed to South Florida
Tauren Poole (Stephens County HS, Toccoa GA) - committed to Tennessee
Jermaine Thomas (First Coast HS, Jacksonville FL) - committed to Florida State
Rashad White (Teaneck HS, Teaneck NJ) - committed to Rutgers
WR
Kevin Dorsey (Forrestville HS, Forrestville MD) - COMMITTED TO MARYLAND
Kerry Boykins (Oscar F. Smith HS, Chesapeake VA) - COMMITTED TO MARYLAND
Darvin Adams (Harrison HS, Kennesaw GA) - Auburn, Georgia Tech, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Wake Forest, South Carolina, Maryland, Alabama, Tennessee, Virginia Tech
Ben Barber (Edison HS, Alexandria VA) - Virginia Tech, Maryland, Virginia
Daniel Bryant (Lawton Chiles HS, Tallahassee FL) - Florida, Florida State, Maryland, Alabama, Iowa State, Florida International, Illinois, UCLA
DJ Coles (Goochland HS, Goochland VA) - Maryland, Virginia, Virginia Tech
Myron Dillard (Los Medanos JC, Pittsburg CA) - Nebraska, Maryland, Oregon State, Iowa State, Kansas State, Southern Miss
Reuben Johnson (Winslow Township HS) - Akron, Boston College, Kentucky, Syracuse, Iowa, Michigan State, Connecticut, Temple, Minnesota
Charles Reeves (Stone Mountain HS, Stone Mountain GA) - Maryland, Auburn, Georgia Tech, Mississippi, Tennessee, Clemson
Kenny Tate (Dematha Catholic HS, Hyattsville MD) - Illinois, Florida, Maryland, Tennessee, Ohio State, Notre Dame
Marcus Thurmond (North Augusta HS, North Augusta GA) - Maryland
Deion Walker (Christchurch School, Christchurch VA) - Maryland, Florida, Florida State, Louisiana State, Texas A&M, Southern California, Michigan, Penn State
Chris Watson
Jamal Wilson (Oscar F Smith HS, Chesapeake VA) - Maryland
AJ Alexander (Altoona Area HS, Altoona PA) - committed to Florida State
Damion Allen (Dr Phillips HS, Orlando FL) - committed to Auburn
Avis Commack (First Coast HS, Jacksonville FL) - committed to Florida State
Austin Fuller (Richlands HS, Richlands VA) - committed to Virginia Tech
AJ Green (Summerville HS, Summervile SC) - committed to Georgia
Todd Harrelson (Oscar F. Smith HS, Chesapeake VA) - committed to North Carolina
Ronald Hobby (Gwynn Park HS, Brandywine MD) - committed to Pittsburgh
AJ Jenkins (Terry Parker HS, Jacksonville FL) - committed to Georgia Tech
Dejuan Miller (Metuchen HS, Metuchen NJ) - committed to Oklahoma
Melvin Ray (North Florida Christian HS, Tallahassee FL) - committed to Alabama
Jacob Stoneburner (Dublin Coffman HS, Dublin OH) - committed to Ohio State
OL
RJ Dill (Trinity HS, Camp Hill PA) - COMMITTED TO MARYLAND
Ricky Barnum (Lake Gibson HS, Lakeland FL) - Florida, Miami, Tennessee, Ohio State, Georgia Tech
Nick Becton (New Hanover HS, Wilmington NC) - Maryland, East Carolina, North Carolina State, South Carolina
Jimmy Bennett (West Potomac HS, Alexandria VA) - Connecticut, West Virginia, Penn State, Michigan State, Virginia Tech, Clemson
BJ Brand (Coffee County HS, Douglas GA) - Georgia, South Carolina
Dalton Freeman (Pelion HS, Pelion SC) - Clemson, Georgia, South Carolina, Virginia Tech, Maryland, Mississippi, Duke, North Carolina State, Wake Forest, Middle Tennessee
Justin Gilbert (Monocan HS, Richmond VA) - Maryland
Cordy Glenn (Riverdale HS, Riverdale GA) - Alabama, Virginia, Arkansas, Louisiana State, Georgia, South Carolina, Maryland
Mike Goodman (Christopher Columbus HS, Miami FL) - Auburn, Florida State, South Carolina, Boston College, Wisconsin, Maryland, Wake Forest, Indiana, Rutgers, Miami, Mississippi
Robert Gumbita (Mount Pleasant Area HS, Mount Pleasant PA) - Buffalo, Maryland
Justin Lewis (Johnsonville HS, Johnsonville SC) - Maryland, North Carolina State, Buffalo
RJ Mattes (Jay M Robinson HS, Concord NC) - from Southern California, Clemson, Virginia, North Carolina, North Carolina State, Wake Forest, East Carolina, Duke, Louisville, Michigan State, Illinois, Miami, Maryland
Joe Pachuta (John Glenn HS, New Concord OH) - Akron, Maryland
Kenneth Page (AC Flora HS, Columbia SC) - Maryland, Clemson, Tennessee, Virginia, South Carolina, Georgia Tech, Duke, Florida, Vanderbilt, Colorado, Auburn, Kentucky, North Carolina, Michigan, Notre Dame
Vinston Painter (Maury HS, Norfolk VA) - Virginia Tech, Florida, Georgia, Miami, Penn State
Omoregie Uzzi (Chamblee HS, Chamblee GA) - Duke, Maryland, Mississippi, Virginia, Alabama, Auburn, Georgia, Georgia Tech
Andrew Wallace (Olympic HS, Charlotte NC) - South Carolina, North Carolina, Illinois, Maryland, Miami, Buffalo, North Carolina State, Tennessee, Wake Forest
John Bassler (Francis Scott Key HS, Union Bridge MD) - committed to West Virginia
Lane Clelland (McDonogh HS, Owings Mills MD) - committed to Notre Dame
Jake Current (Troy HS, Troy OH) - committed to Wisconsin
Art Forst (Manasquan HS, Manasquan NJ) - committed to Rutgers
AJ Harmon (Jefferson County HS, Louisville GA) - committed to Clemson
Josh Jenkins (Parkersburg HS, Parkersburg WV) - committed to West Virginia
TJ Johnson (Aynor HS, Aynor SC) - committed to South Carolina
Kyle Long (Saint Anne's-Belfield HS, Charlottesville VA) - committed to Florida State (baseball)
Nick McRae (Dublin HS, Dublin GA) - committed to Georgia Tech
Graham Pocic (Lemont Township HS, Lemont IL) - committed to Illinois
Matt Sanders (Crestview HS, Crestview FL) - committed to Clemson
Tyler Sands (Boyertown Area HS, Boyertown PA) - committed to Illinois
Ryan Turnley (Hopewell HS, Alquippa PA) - committed to Pittsburgh
TE
Matt Furstenberg (Hunterdon Central HS, Flemington NJ ) - COMMITTED TO MARYLAND
Jonathan Baldwin (Alquippa HS, Alquippa PA) - Michigan, Southern California, Pittsburgh, Notre Dame, Florida, Miami
Chase Clement (ED White Catholic HS, Thibodeaux LA) - LSU, Alabama, Florida, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Tulane, Maryland, Louisiana Tech
Ryan Deehan (Poway HS, Poway CA) - Arizona State, Colorado, Washington, Oregon
Mark Wedderburn (Cardinal O'Hara HS, Springfield PA) - Penn State, Michigan, Virginia, Rutgers, Tennessee, West Virginia, Louisville
Nic DiLilio (Madison HS, Madison OH) - committed to Ohio State
DT
Cody Blue (Wilde Lake HS, Wilde Lake MD) - COMMITTED TO MARYLAND
Teddy Dargan (Milford Mill Academy, Baltimore MD) - COMMITTED TO MARYLAND
AJ Francis (Gonzaga HS, Washington DC) - COMMITTED TO MARYLAND
Masengo Kabongo (Fairfield Prep, Fairfield CT) - COMMITTED TO MARYLAND
Arterio Arnold (Greenville HS, Greenville SC) - Maryland, Marshall, Kentucky
Reggie Ellis (Dunbar HS, Washington DC) - Alabama, Michigan, Penn State, Illinois, Rutgers, Pittsburgh, Maryland, Boston College
Zach Kerr (Quince Orchard HS, Gaithersburg MD) - Maryland, Rutgers, Illinois, Temple, Eastern Michigan, Ohio
Jerel Lowery (Paterson Catholic HS, Paterson NJ) - Maryland, Wake Forest
Bobby Massie (Lynchburg Christian Academy, Lynchburg VA) - Georgia, Clemson, Virginia Tech
Jeff Braun (Winters Mill HS, Westminster MD) - committed to West Virginia
Omar Hunter (Buford HS, Buford GA) - committed to Notre Dame
Moses McCray (Hillborough HS, Tampa Bay FL) - committed to Florida State
Chris Palmer (St. John Neumann HS, Philadelphia PA) - committed to West Virginia
Hafis Williams (Elizabeth HS, Elizabeth NJ) - committed to Notre Dame
Scott Vallone (St Anthony's HS, Melville NY) - committed to Rutgers
DE
Tyler Urban (Norwin HS, North Huntdington PA) - COMMITTED TO MARYLAND
Jack Crawford (Saint Augustine Prep, Richland NJ) - Arizona State, Minnesota, Maryland, Syracuse, Northwestern
Everrett Dawkins (James F Byrnes HS, Duncan SC) - Maryland, Wake Forest
Chase Thomas (Walton HS, Marietta GA) - Georgia Tech, Auburn, Louisiana State, Wake Forest, Stanford
Lasalle Cooks (Pine Castle Christian Academy, Orlando FL) - committed to Purdue
JD Griggs (Piscataway Township HS, Piscataway NJ) - committed to Syracuse
Jeremy Longo (Cardinal Gibbons HS, Fort Lauderdale FL) - committed to Georgia
Nathan Williams (Miami Trace HS, Washington OH) - committed to Ohio State
LB
Zach Brown (Wilde Lake HS, Wilde Lake MD) - COMMITTED TO MARYLAND
Demetrius Hartsfield (Southeast Raleigh HS, Raleigh NC) - COMMITTED TO MARYLAND
EJ Abrams-Ward (Thomasville HS, Thomasville NC) - Boston College, Clemson, East Carolina, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, North Carolina State, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest, Maryland
Alex Bazzie (Northwood HS, Silver Spring MD) - Maryland
Brendan Beal (Liberty HS, Bethlehem PA) - USC, Florida, Boston College, Louisiana State, Ohio State
JB Fitzgerald (WWPHS South, Princeton Junction NJ) - Michigan, Florida, Rutgers, Georgia Tech, Iowa
Shayne Hale (Gateway HS, Monroeville PA) - Michigan, West Virginia, Virginia
Leandre Lance (First Coast HS, Jacksonville FL) - Cincy, Maryland
Jonathan Myers (Greenwich HS, Greenwich CT) - Florida, Michigan
Malcolm Munroe (Coral Reef HS, Miami FL) - Auburn, Georgia Tech, Louisville, Wisconsin, South Carolina, Clemson, Maryland, Rutgers, Central Florida
Latavius Murray (Onondaga HS, Nedrow NY) - Maryland, Boston College, Syracuse, Central Florida, Connecticut
TJ Pridemore (Buford HS, Buford GA) - Georgia Tech, Duke, Mississippi State, Mississippi, Tennessee, Central Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina State, South Florida, West Virginia, Maryland
Robert Quinn (Fort Dorchester HS, North Charleston SC) - North Carolina, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Maryland, Auburn, Tennessee, Florida, Clemson, South Carolina (OFFER)
Etienne Sabino (Dr Michael M Krop HS, Miami FL) - Auburn, Florida, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Miami, Tennessee, West Virginia, North Carolina, Wisconsin
William Beasley (Milton HS, Milton FL) - committed to North Carolina State
Nigel Bradham (Wakulla HS, Crawfordville FL) - committed to Florida State
Ramon Buchanan (Palm Bay HS, Melbourne FL) - committed to Miami
Nigel Carr (First Coast HS, Jacksonville FL) - committed to Florida State
Marcus Dowtin (Fork Union Military Academy, Fork Union VA) - committed to Georgia
Jake Johnson (Stratford HS, Fredricksburg VA) - committed to Virginia Tech
Eric Legrand (Colonia HS, Colonia NJ) - committed to Rutgers
BJ Machen (Hilliard Darby HS, Hilliard OH) - committed to Georgia Tech
Terrell Manning (Scotland HS, Laurinburg NC) - committed to North Carolina State
Donovan Miles (Brooke Point HS, Stafford VA) - committed to West Virginia
Allen Stephens (Halifax County HS, South Boston VA) - committed to Virginia Tech
Bruce Taylor (Myrtle Beach HS, Myrtle Beach SC) - committed to Virginia Tech
Jonathan Willard (Loris HS, Loris SC) - committed to Clemson
CB
Tavon Wilson (HD Woodson HS, Washington DC) - COMMITTED TO MARYLAND
Mike Beckford (Albemarle HS, Charlottesville VA) - Clemson, Connecticut, Maryland, Virginia
TJ Bryant (Lincoln HS, Tallahassee FL) - Alabama, Auburn, Georgia, Louisiana State, Florida, Oklahoma, Southern California, Miami, Florida, Florida State
Cameron Chism (Bishop McNamara, Forrestville MD) - Maryland, Connecticut, Pitt, Syracuse,Boston College
Brandon Harris (Booker T Washington HS, Miami FL) - Miami, Florida, Louisiana State, Ohio State, West Virginia, Tennessee, Southern California
Jarred Holley (Easton Area HS, Easton PA) - Stanford, Syracuse, Iowa, Florida, Illinois, Temple, Connecticut, Michigan State, Virginia, Pitt, North Carolina State, Rutgers, Toledo, West Virginia, Penn State, Maryland, Northwestern, Michigan
Neiko Lipscomb (Tucker HS, Tucker GA) - Alabama, Oklahoma, Georgia, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Maryland
Charles Whitlock (Chester HS, Chester SC) - Georgia, South Carolina, Alabama, Mississippi State, Clemson, Virginia Tech, Maryland, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Florida, North Carolina
Robert Blanton (David W Butler HS, Matthews NC) - committed to Notre Dame
Xavier Brewer (Bartram Trail HS, Jacksonville HS) - committed to Clemson
Andre Ellington (Berkley HS, Moncks Corner SC) - committed to Clemson
Dwayne Gratz (Piscataway HS, Piscataway NJ) - committed to Connecticut
Rodney McCleod (Dematha HS, Hyattsvile MD) - committed to Virginia
Makiri Pugh (Independence HS, Charlotte NC) - committed to Georgia
S
T'Sharvan Bell (Osceola HS, Seminole FL) - Auburn, Clemson, Georgia Tech, West Virginia
O'Neil Chambers (Harmony HS, Harmony FL) - Brigham Young, Maryland, Mississippi State, Texas Tech
Rashard Hall (Saint Augustine HS, Saint Augustine FL) - Louisville, Mississippi State, Maryland, West Virginia
Will Hill (St. Peter's Prep, Jersey City NJ) - Florida, USC, Michigan, Virginia, Maryland, Rutgers, Penn State, Florida State, Miami
Okechukwu Okoroha (Eleanor Roosevelt HS, Greenbelt MD) -Syracuse, Virginia, North Carolina State, Boston College, Penn State, Connecticut, Cincy, Illinois, Akron, Eastern Michigan, North Carolina, Clemson
Marquis Spann (John F. Kennedy HS, Paterson NJ) - Maryland, Akron
Darrell Simmons (Banneker HS, College Park GA) - Florida, Alabama, Miami, Tennessee, Ohio State, Michigan
Brynden Trawick (Sprayberry HS, Marietta GA) - Marshall, Maryland, Mississippi State, Ole Miss, Indiana, Middle Tennessee, Purdue
Bacarri Rambo (Seminole County HS, Donalsonville GA) - committed to Georgia
Peter Rose (Amherst County HS, Amherst VA) - committed to Virginia Tech
Ausur Walcott (Hackensack HS, Hackensack NJ) - committed to Virginia
EJ Whitley (David W Butler HS, Matthews NC) - committed to Virginia Tech
ATH
Sanders Commings (Eastside HS, Augusta GA) - Maryland, South Carolina, Georgia, Auburn
Xavier Boyce (Landstown HS, Virginia Beach VA) - Virginia Tech, Clemson, Auburn, Marshall, Connecticut, Rutgers, Maryland
Brandon Smith (New Brunswick HS, New Brunswick NJ) - Michigan, Rutgers, North Carolina State, Wisconsin, Iowa
CJ Wilson (Lincolnton HS, Lincolnton NC) - Maryland
JT Floyd (JL Mann HS, Greenville SC) - committed to Tennessee
Cameron Johnson (Gonzaga HS, Washington DC) - committed to Virginia
Jamoris Slaughter (Tucker HS, Tucker GA) - committed to Notre Dame
Timothy Wright (Wall HS, Wall NJ) - committed to Rutgers
K
Caleb Sturgis (Saint Augustine HS, Saint Augustine FL) - committed to Florida
Blair Walsh (Cardinal Gibbons HS, Fort Lauderdale FL) - committed to Georgia Tech
Saturday, June 2, 2007
Football Scholarship Chart
<pre>
2007 2008 2009 2010
Steffy Steffy QB
Portis Portis Portis
Turner Turner Turner
Robinson Robinson Robinson Robinson
-----------
Ball RB
Lattimore
Green Green Green Green
Scott Scott Scott Scott
Washington Washington Washington Washington
------------
Jackson Jackson Jackson FB
Brown Brown Brown Brown
T. Watson T. Watson T. Watson T. Watson
------------
I. Williams I. Williams
Oquendo Oquendo WR
Heyward-Bey Heyward-Bey Heyward-Bey
Cannon Cannon Cannon Cannon
Lee Lee Lee Lee
Logan Logan Logan Logan
McCree McCree McCree McCree
Smalls Smalls Smalls Smalls
Smith Smith Smith Smith
Tyler Tyler Tyler Tyler
L. Williams L. Williams L. Williams L. Williams
------------
Crummey OL
Burley
Griffin
Randolph Randolph
Thomas Thomas
E. Williams E. Williams
P. Costa P. Costa P. Costa
Bowen Bowen Bowen Bowen
Campbell Campbell Campbell Campbell
Eastburn Eastburn Eastburn Eastburn
Faiella Faiella Faiella Faiella
Hampton Hampton Hampton Hampton
Johnson Johnson Johnson Johnson
St. John St. John St. John St. John
Young Young Young Young
------------
Goode TE
Haynos
Gronkowski Gronkowski
T. Galt T. Galt T. Galt
Gloster Gloster Gloster Gloster
L. Watson L. Watson L. Watson L. Watson
------------
Feliciano DL
Moore
D. Galt D. Galt D. Galt
Ivey Ivey Ivey
Armstrong Armstrong Armstrong Armstrong
Davidson Davidson Davidson Davidson
Russell Russell Russell Russell
------------
Lemons
Savage DE/LEO
Covington Covington
Frost Frost
Navarre Navarre
Clement Clement Clement
Harrell Harrell Harrell
Drummond Drummond Drummond Drummond
Vellano Vellano Vellano Vellano
Whitmore Whitmore Whitmore Whitmore
Wujciak Wujciak Wujciak Wujciak
------------
Bullock Bullock LB
R. Costa R. Costa
Fokou Fokou
Henderson Henderson
Philistin Philistin
Clinton Clinton Clinton Clinton
Moten Moten Moten Moten
Pooler Pooler Pooler Pooler
------------
Gardner
Barnes Barnes CB
Taylor Taylor
Carroll Carroll Carroll
Carter Carter Carter
Wiseman Wiseman Wiseman
Hughes Hughes Hughes Hughes
Jackson-Mills Jackson-Mills Jackson-Mills Jackson-Mills
Thornton Thornton Thornton Thornton
------------
Justice S
Varner
Allen Allen
McCoullough McCoullough McCoullough
Perez Perez Perez
Skinner Skinner Skinner
Herald Herald Herald Herald
-----------
Egekeze Egekeze K/P
Baltz Baltz Baltz Baltz
Money Talk
The always excellent Turtle Waxing blog has an analysis of the revenue situation in the new ACC. Needless to say, with per school payouts staying the same after expansion - contrary to what Commissioner John Swofford claimed would happen - he isn't too kind to the people in charge. I'd disagree with the relative strength of the Big East as compared to the ACC, but it's hard to dispute the numbers he lays out. I've gotten used to the new ACC, but this is just another reason that expansion should never have occurred.
Thursday, May 31, 2007
Donovan to the Magic
So Billy Donovan took the Orlando Magic job. Looks like his goal all along was to jump to the Association despite talks of an impending contract extension at Florida that never happened.
Looks like Jai Lucas didn't quite wait long enough to make his decision. How's that for irony?
Looks like Jai Lucas didn't quite wait long enough to make his decision. How's that for irony?
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Basketball Scholarship Chart
Just a quick look at the scholarship situation for basketball in the coming years. The team will have up to three to give to '08 recruits, likely at least one (more likely two or perhaps three) for '09 recruits, and at least four to give for recruits in the class of '10.
CURRENT AS OF: 6/1/07
CURRENT AS OF: 6/1/07
| 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | |
| Osby | C | |||
| Dupree | Dupree | Dupree | Dupree | |
| Gist | PF | |||
| Burney | Burney | Burney | Burney | |
| Walker | Walker | Walker | Walker | |
| Gregory | Gregory | Gregory | Gregory | |
| Neal | Neal | SF | ||
| Milbourne | Milbourne | Milbourne | ||
| Tucker | Tucker | Tucker | Tucker | |
| Bowie | Bowie | Bowie | Bowie | SG |
| Vazquez | Vazquez | Vazquez | PG | |
| Hayes | Hayes | Hayes | ||
| OPEN | OPEN | OPEN | OPEN | OPEN |
ACC Schedule to Stay at 16 games
This isn't exactly hot of the presses news, but last week the ACC decided to keep its men's basketball schedule at 16 games for the 2007-2008 season. With all ACC teams essentially allowed to play 30-31 games every season beginning last season, a move to 18 games was seen as somewhat likely, however it was not to be. Needless to say, as far as most fans are concerned, myself included, 18 games would have been a step in the right direct after expansion destroyed the home and home scheduling that had been part of the ACC for the first 50 seasons of its existence.
But unless the league decides to go to 22 conference games - a true home and home schedule - which will not be happening anytime soon, an 18 game schedule would probably be for the best.
Think of it this way. The league could be divided into three divisions for scheduling purposes; the North (Boston College, Virginia, Maryland, Virginia Tech), the Central (Duke, North Carolina, North Carolina State, and Wake Forest), and the South (Clemson, Georgia Tech, Florida State, Miami). These divisions would be only used for scheduling and would not be used in the standings as they are in football and baseball.
With an 18 game schedule, 6 of those games would come from an annual home and home with each of the three teams in your division. Then the other schools would be played in a home and home series on an alternating basis.
For instance, Maryland might play a home and home with Duke in year one, followed by a one game series at Cameron in year two, another home and home in year three, and finally a one game series only at Comcast in year four. In this way, in a four year rotation, each school would play every other school at least 6 times, including at least 3 games at home against each.
This proposal would be better for a number of reasons. First, it would allow a team to face the majority of the other teams in the conference in a home and home each season. In addition, teams would face any given team more often.
Of course, Maryland fans might not be too happy that the home and home each season with Duke would go by the wayside, but it would only be a loss of one game at Comcast every four seasons. And depending on how the scheduling is done, those years would likely include a game against North Carolina at Comcast. In fact, it would make sense for every team to get at least one "marquee" home game against North Carolina or Duke every season.
Now that we've fixed basketball scheduling, let's fix the football divisions and scheduling...
But unless the league decides to go to 22 conference games - a true home and home schedule - which will not be happening anytime soon, an 18 game schedule would probably be for the best.
Think of it this way. The league could be divided into three divisions for scheduling purposes; the North (Boston College, Virginia, Maryland, Virginia Tech), the Central (Duke, North Carolina, North Carolina State, and Wake Forest), and the South (Clemson, Georgia Tech, Florida State, Miami). These divisions would be only used for scheduling and would not be used in the standings as they are in football and baseball.
With an 18 game schedule, 6 of those games would come from an annual home and home with each of the three teams in your division. Then the other schools would be played in a home and home series on an alternating basis.
For instance, Maryland might play a home and home with Duke in year one, followed by a one game series at Cameron in year two, another home and home in year three, and finally a one game series only at Comcast in year four. In this way, in a four year rotation, each school would play every other school at least 6 times, including at least 3 games at home against each.
This proposal would be better for a number of reasons. First, it would allow a team to face the majority of the other teams in the conference in a home and home each season. In addition, teams would face any given team more often.
Of course, Maryland fans might not be too happy that the home and home each season with Duke would go by the wayside, but it would only be a loss of one game at Comcast every four seasons. And depending on how the scheduling is done, those years would likely include a game against North Carolina at Comcast. In fact, it would make sense for every team to get at least one "marquee" home game against North Carolina or Duke every season.
Now that we've fixed basketball scheduling, let's fix the football divisions and scheduling...
Sunday, May 27, 2007
Ranking the ACC OOC (FB)
Florida State: UAB, @Colorado, Alabama, @Florida - A road game against a top 10 caliber Florida team is the marquee game on a slate that also includes a game against SEC contender Alabama as well as another road game against a BCS foe and no true cupcakes.
Maryland: Villanova, @Florida International, West Virginia, @Rutgers - The West Virginia game, and the road trip to New Jersey to face Rutgers are both headline games, but the schedule does include two gimmes with one on the road, albeit against 0-12 Florida International
Duke: Connecticut, @Northwestern, @Navy, @Notre Dame - Duke is one of three conference teams to have Notre Dame on the schedule (with all three games on the road). Not a single cupcake on the schedule - although no one is for lowly Duke - but FSU and Maryland have tougher second games than Duke.
Wake Forest: Nebraska, Army, @Navy, @Vanderbilt - A similar schedule to Duke, except that the marquee game against Nebraska is at home, and the Army game is far easier than anything on the Blue Devils' schedule.
Miami: Marshall, @Oklahoma, Florida International, Texas A&M - The game against the Sooners in Norman will be a good test, and the Texas A&M game is a very strong second game, but two home games against easy competition knock the schedule lower than perhaps it should be.
Georgia Tech @Notre Dame, Samford, Army, Georgia - The second of three teams with a road date agains the Domers, the home game against Georgia might prove even tougher. A great test at the top, but home dates against Samford and Army are embarassing.
North Carolina: James Madison, @East Carolina, @South Florida, South Carolina - While the Tar Heels traditionally played a strong OOC schedule in recent years under John Bunting, this year's version is significantly scaled back. Two road games are on tap, though the home game against South Carolina could be the toughest test.
Virginia: @Wyoming, Pitt, @Middle Tennessee, Connecticut - Virgina goes on the road twice, but even a team as mediocre as the Cavs should have a decent shot to win both. There are no walkovers on the schedule, but the best test is a 6 win Pitt team that failed to make it to postseason play.
Virginia Tech: East Carolina, @Louisiana State, Ohio, William & Mary - The trip to Baton Rouge to play the Tigers is the toughest for any ACC team, but after that three home games that will be cakewalks don't help the team's ranking.
North Carolina State: Central Florida, Wofford, Louisville, @East Carolina - The Louisville game will be good, and likely a loss, but the rest are uninspiring, although NC State might have to settle for a split with their two CUSA foes.
Boston College: Army, Massachusetts, Bowling Green, @Notre Dame - The Notre Dame game is tough, but it may not be much of a marquee game this season. Other than that, it's possible that a I-AA team will be the second toughest on the ledger.
Clemson: Lousiana-Monroe, Furman, Central Michigan, @South Carolina - Clemson goes on the road for its annual rivalry game against South Carolina, but Clemson hits the trifecta with a I-AA team, a Sun Belt team, and a MAC team.
Final 2007 Hoops recruiting rankings
With the last holdouts among the top 100 prospects in the '07 classes finally signing, among them Jai Lucas finally ending a recruitment that had gone on for decades, the major gurus put out their final rankings in the past week.
It was somewhat disappointing for Terps' fans to see the rankings not displaying many of the Terps' signings. It isn't surprising, and make no mistake the incoming group should be productive and fit into the Maryland system, but as a fan you'd like to see those guys get more recognition. That's life though. Here are a sampling of the rankings:
Braxton Dupree: Scout (#90, #16 C), Rivals (#15 C)
Dino Gregory: Rivals (#40 PF)
Cliff Tucker: Scout (#32 SF), Rivals (#91, #20 SG)
Adrian Bowie: Scout (#28 SF), Rivals (#30 SG)
But as we saw with this year's class, and with so many past classes in Maryland basketball history, the rankings just don't matter all that much. Gary Williams is a proven winner and a great talent scout. All of these players are said to be the types that Gary has won with over the years - hard workers who fit the system and will work to maximize their talent. It's a good time to be a Terps fan.
It was somewhat disappointing for Terps' fans to see the rankings not displaying many of the Terps' signings. It isn't surprising, and make no mistake the incoming group should be productive and fit into the Maryland system, but as a fan you'd like to see those guys get more recognition. That's life though. Here are a sampling of the rankings:
Braxton Dupree: Scout (#90, #16 C), Rivals (#15 C)
Dino Gregory: Rivals (#40 PF)
Cliff Tucker: Scout (#32 SF), Rivals (#91, #20 SG)
Adrian Bowie: Scout (#28 SF), Rivals (#30 SG)
But as we saw with this year's class, and with so many past classes in Maryland basketball history, the rankings just don't matter all that much. Gary Williams is a proven winner and a great talent scout. All of these players are said to be the types that Gary has won with over the years - hard workers who fit the system and will work to maximize their talent. It's a good time to be a Terps fan.
Early football musings
The Terps had a very good season last year, going to the Champs Sports Bowl and dominating Purdue. But now that we're past the afterglow of that 9-4 campaign, Terp fans are wondering what the team can do for an encore.
Which leads me to wonder, what would be a reasonable expectation for next season? The Terps will have to break in a new QB, either JR Jordan Steffy, the current incumbent, or hotshot SO Josh Portis. Aside from that, the team loses little among offensive skill position players, and returns potential all-ACC players in Ball, Lattimore, Crummey, and Heyward-Bey. The defense should be improved as well, assuming Defensive Coordinator Chris Cosh's game plans improve as well in his second season.
But there are plenty of question marks as well. Offensive line depth will be a question, especially with the talented Jared Gaither's status up in there yet again. The team also loses a lot on Special Teams with the losses of kicker Dan Ennis and punter Adam Podlesh, as well as kick returner Josh Wilson. Getting a reliable performance out fo the kicking team is a big need, and at this point, a big question mark as well.
The schedule isn't easy either. The team doesn't face Duke again this year. The nonconference portion of the schedule is beefed up, with a trip to Rutgers coming a few weeks after a Thursday night game at Byrd against rival West Virginia. In between those two games will be a trip to Winston-Salem to face the defending ACC Champs Wake Forest.
That will be a critical early season stretch. The team will win its first to games (vs Villanova, @ Florida International) heading into that three game stretch, which could be the turning point of the season for good or for bad. Winning two or more could set the stage for a special season, while losing all three could cause the wheels to come off early in the year.
The Terps then get three straight home games to finish the first half of the ACC, with Georgia Tech, Virginia, and Clemson coming to College Park. After that it's a trip to Chapel Hill to face UNC, the home finale against Boston College, and then road games against division foes Florida State and North Carolina State.
The bright side in that schedule is that the team misses Virginia Tech and a possibly resurgent Miami team who will be looking to improve on last year's 7-6 debacle. The schedule isn't exactly an SEC schedule, but it's no cake walk either.
But back to the point - expectations. 8-4. I think, would be a good season. It's still too early to say for sure considering the QB situation is still up in there, but if the team performs at a reasonable level given their skills, 8 wins - as many as 6 in conference - seems to be an attainable benchmark.
And if Portis does hold the starting job for most of the season, an 8-4 campaign might be a very nice stepping stone to a 2008 seaosn that could be another double digit win year. Who knows? We'll talk a lot more about this in the next few months. I can't wait until September 1st!
Which leads me to wonder, what would be a reasonable expectation for next season? The Terps will have to break in a new QB, either JR Jordan Steffy, the current incumbent, or hotshot SO Josh Portis. Aside from that, the team loses little among offensive skill position players, and returns potential all-ACC players in Ball, Lattimore, Crummey, and Heyward-Bey. The defense should be improved as well, assuming Defensive Coordinator Chris Cosh's game plans improve as well in his second season.
But there are plenty of question marks as well. Offensive line depth will be a question, especially with the talented Jared Gaither's status up in there yet again. The team also loses a lot on Special Teams with the losses of kicker Dan Ennis and punter Adam Podlesh, as well as kick returner Josh Wilson. Getting a reliable performance out fo the kicking team is a big need, and at this point, a big question mark as well.
The schedule isn't easy either. The team doesn't face Duke again this year. The nonconference portion of the schedule is beefed up, with a trip to Rutgers coming a few weeks after a Thursday night game at Byrd against rival West Virginia. In between those two games will be a trip to Winston-Salem to face the defending ACC Champs Wake Forest.
That will be a critical early season stretch. The team will win its first to games (vs Villanova, @ Florida International) heading into that three game stretch, which could be the turning point of the season for good or for bad. Winning two or more could set the stage for a special season, while losing all three could cause the wheels to come off early in the year.
The Terps then get three straight home games to finish the first half of the ACC, with Georgia Tech, Virginia, and Clemson coming to College Park. After that it's a trip to Chapel Hill to face UNC, the home finale against Boston College, and then road games against division foes Florida State and North Carolina State.
The bright side in that schedule is that the team misses Virginia Tech and a possibly resurgent Miami team who will be looking to improve on last year's 7-6 debacle. The schedule isn't exactly an SEC schedule, but it's no cake walk either.
But back to the point - expectations. 8-4. I think, would be a good season. It's still too early to say for sure considering the QB situation is still up in there, but if the team performs at a reasonable level given their skills, 8 wins - as many as 6 in conference - seems to be an attainable benchmark.
And if Portis does hold the starting job for most of the season, an 8-4 campaign might be a very nice stepping stone to a 2008 seaosn that could be another double digit win year. Who knows? We'll talk a lot more about this in the next few months. I can't wait until September 1st!
'07-'08 Early Bball schedule
The Terps' '07-'08 schedule won't be announced until sometime in the middle of August, but there have already been a number of games announced for the nonconference portion of the schedule next season.
The Terps will compete in another exempt tournament next season, this time the 16 team College Basketball Experience Classic. The first two rounds will be held at four regional sites, with the Terps playing at Comcast Center. The four regional winners will advance to Kansas City for the semifinals and finals. The Terps will almost certainly play two low-major opponents in the first two rounds to ensure that they advance to the later rounds, where the other teams will likely be Michigan State, UCLA, and Missouri, barring upsets. Not a bad field, at all, and probably better than the one the Terps faced in winning the Coaches vs Cancer Classic this season.
The Terps will play in the BB&T Classic once again in early December.
On December 12th, Ohio comes to the Comcast Center to take a loss. Another rumoured opponent is Holy Cross.
The Big Ten-ACC "Challenge" game this year will be a rematch against Illinois at the Comcast Center on November 28th.
Ideally, with 15 nonconference games each season, the Terps would schedule about five games that are likely to be competitive. 2-3 of those would come in a preseason tournament (depending on the format), 1-2 would be part of a home and home series with another BCS school, and the last game would be a neutral site game, perhaps as part of the BB&T classic.
Then with 9-10 games left on the schedule, there should be at least another 5-6 RPI booster wins. Games against the likes of Holy Cross or Ohio or Winthrop that will almost certainly be wins, especially at home, but will come against opponents whose RPI is likely to be in the 50-150 range.
The teams to schedule would be middle of the pack teams from the A-10, C-USA or CAA or teams from the MAAC, MAC or Sun Belt. With the remaining handful of games, the Terps can schedule the traditional cupcakes from the America East, Big South or other low major conferences. The one change that should be made is to avoid the teams from the MEAC and SWAC which can hurt the RPI way too much considering how low those two conferences are on the totem pole. Maybe an occasional game against a local team like Morgan State or Coppin State, but not every season.
Gaming the RPI with smart scheduling is a big topic every year when it comes time to scrutinize tournament resumes, and it has become somewhat prevalent because it's so easy to do if a team wants to do that. It isn't an exact science, but it can be done. The one advantage that mid-majors have is the willingness to play decent teams on the road to rack up wins and receive an RPI bonus for playing on the road. But still, if the Terps follow the above outline - and over the past two seasons it seems as if they're moving in that direction - it could be the difference between an NCAA berth and another trip to the NIT sometime in the future.
The Terps will compete in another exempt tournament next season, this time the 16 team College Basketball Experience Classic. The first two rounds will be held at four regional sites, with the Terps playing at Comcast Center. The four regional winners will advance to Kansas City for the semifinals and finals. The Terps will almost certainly play two low-major opponents in the first two rounds to ensure that they advance to the later rounds, where the other teams will likely be Michigan State, UCLA, and Missouri, barring upsets. Not a bad field, at all, and probably better than the one the Terps faced in winning the Coaches vs Cancer Classic this season.
The Terps will play in the BB&T Classic once again in early December.
On December 12th, Ohio comes to the Comcast Center to take a loss. Another rumoured opponent is Holy Cross.
The Big Ten-ACC "Challenge" game this year will be a rematch against Illinois at the Comcast Center on November 28th.
Ideally, with 15 nonconference games each season, the Terps would schedule about five games that are likely to be competitive. 2-3 of those would come in a preseason tournament (depending on the format), 1-2 would be part of a home and home series with another BCS school, and the last game would be a neutral site game, perhaps as part of the BB&T classic.
Then with 9-10 games left on the schedule, there should be at least another 5-6 RPI booster wins. Games against the likes of Holy Cross or Ohio or Winthrop that will almost certainly be wins, especially at home, but will come against opponents whose RPI is likely to be in the 50-150 range.
The teams to schedule would be middle of the pack teams from the A-10, C-USA or CAA or teams from the MAAC, MAC or Sun Belt. With the remaining handful of games, the Terps can schedule the traditional cupcakes from the America East, Big South or other low major conferences. The one change that should be made is to avoid the teams from the MEAC and SWAC which can hurt the RPI way too much considering how low those two conferences are on the totem pole. Maybe an occasional game against a local team like Morgan State or Coppin State, but not every season.
Gaming the RPI with smart scheduling is a big topic every year when it comes time to scrutinize tournament resumes, and it has become somewhat prevalent because it's so easy to do if a team wants to do that. It isn't an exact science, but it can be done. The one advantage that mid-majors have is the willingness to play decent teams on the road to rack up wins and receive an RPI bonus for playing on the road. But still, if the Terps follow the above outline - and over the past two seasons it seems as if they're moving in that direction - it could be the difference between an NCAA berth and another trip to the NIT sometime in the future.
Saturday, May 26, 2007
2009 Hoops Recruiting
Earlier I tried to tackle 2008 hoops recruiting with an in-depth look at the major prospects for Maryland. With the HS season over and the summer AAU and camp season coming up, the recruiting gurus have shifted their attention from 2007 to 2008. But at the same, they'll all be keeping an eye on 2009, as some of the top prospects in that class will soon begin to narrow their focus, and in some cases, give verbal commitments. But it's still early for the '09 recruiting season so instead of an in-depth look at the Terps' targets, here's a primer on some names to know.
For this season, the Terps will have at least one scholarship to give, most likely two, and possibly three or four if all 2008 scholarships are not used.
Terrell Vinson (SF, Montrose Christian/Baltimore Stars) - Maryland, Texas, Villanova, Syracuse
Isaiah Armwood (PF, Montrose Christian/Baltimore Stars) - Maryland, Villanova, Syracuse, Louisville
Tristan Spurlock (SF, Montrose Christian/DC Blue Devils) - ?
Greg Echinique (C, St. Benedict's/New York Metro Hawks) - Georgetown, Villanova, Rutgers, Maryland
Naji Hibbert (SG, Dematha/Team Melo) - Connecticut, Maryland, Virginia, Clemson, Syracuse
Dominic Cheek (SG, Saint Anthony's/Playaz) - Connecticut, Maryland, Florida, Kentucky, North Carolina, Syracuse, Rutgers
Maurice Creek (SG, Oxon Hill/Triple Threat) - Georgetown, Maryland
Donte Taylor (PF, National Christian/DC Assault) - Maryland, Connecticut, Cincinatti, Georgetown
Wally Judge (PG, Bladensburg/DC Assault)- Georgetown, Maryland, Kansas State, Villanova, Pitt, West Virginia
Akeem Richmond (PG, Southern Lee/D-One Sports) - Maryland, Florida, North Carolina, North Carolina State, UAB, Wake Forest, Georgia Tech
Oscar Griffin (SF, American Christian/Team Final) - LSU, Maryland, Wisconsin
Daniel Orton (PF, Bishop Mcguinness/Compton Magic) - Maryland, Oklahoma, Kansas, Florida, Auburn, Oklahoma State
Karron Johnson (PF, Mount Zion/Richmond Squires) - Virginia, Memphis, Maryland
Javorn Farrell (SG, Bishop Ireton/DC Assault) - Maryland, Connecticut, Kentucky, Louisville
This list will change a ton by the end of the summer. Maryland will fall of some lists, but will also make headway with new prospects. While the Terps haven't got any verbals early for the '08 class, the '06 and '06 classes all had plenty of early committs. Braxton Dupree, Dino Gregory, Eric Hayes, and Landon Milbourne had all joined the program by the first half of their junior season. With the Terps involved with so much highly regarded talent, there is a chance that the team could have one of its best recruiting classes in recent memory even with only two or three scholarships to give.
For this season, the Terps will have at least one scholarship to give, most likely two, and possibly three or four if all 2008 scholarships are not used.
Terrell Vinson (SF, Montrose Christian/Baltimore Stars) - Maryland, Texas, Villanova, Syracuse
Isaiah Armwood (PF, Montrose Christian/Baltimore Stars) - Maryland, Villanova, Syracuse, Louisville
Tristan Spurlock (SF, Montrose Christian/DC Blue Devils) - ?
Greg Echinique (C, St. Benedict's/New York Metro Hawks) - Georgetown, Villanova, Rutgers, Maryland
Naji Hibbert (SG, Dematha/Team Melo) - Connecticut, Maryland, Virginia, Clemson, Syracuse
Dominic Cheek (SG, Saint Anthony's/Playaz) - Connecticut, Maryland, Florida, Kentucky, North Carolina, Syracuse, Rutgers
Maurice Creek (SG, Oxon Hill/Triple Threat) - Georgetown, Maryland
Donte Taylor (PF, National Christian/DC Assault) - Maryland, Connecticut, Cincinatti, Georgetown
Wally Judge (PG, Bladensburg/DC Assault)- Georgetown, Maryland, Kansas State, Villanova, Pitt, West Virginia
Akeem Richmond (PG, Southern Lee/D-One Sports) - Maryland, Florida, North Carolina, North Carolina State, UAB, Wake Forest, Georgia Tech
Oscar Griffin (SF, American Christian/Team Final) - LSU, Maryland, Wisconsin
Daniel Orton (PF, Bishop Mcguinness/Compton Magic) - Maryland, Oklahoma, Kansas, Florida, Auburn, Oklahoma State
Karron Johnson (PF, Mount Zion/Richmond Squires) - Virginia, Memphis, Maryland
Javorn Farrell (SG, Bishop Ireton/DC Assault) - Maryland, Connecticut, Kentucky, Louisville
This list will change a ton by the end of the summer. Maryland will fall of some lists, but will also make headway with new prospects. While the Terps haven't got any verbals early for the '08 class, the '06 and '06 classes all had plenty of early committs. Braxton Dupree, Dino Gregory, Eric Hayes, and Landon Milbourne had all joined the program by the first half of their junior season. With the Terps involved with so much highly regarded talent, there is a chance that the team could have one of its best recruiting classes in recent memory even with only two or three scholarships to give.
Current '08 Football Committs
- Kevin Dorsey (WR, Forrestville HS)
- Teddy Dargan (DT, Milford Mill HS)
- AJ Francis (DT, Gonzaga HS)
- Zach Brown (LB, Hargrave Military Academy)
- Cody Blue (DT, Wilde Lake HS)
Blue recently became the fifth member of the Terps 2008 football recruiting class. He is already the 3rd recruit at defensive tackle, shoring up that position very early in the recruiting season. The Terps do have a number of other DT prospects on the radar including Jarel Lowery, who has named the Terps as his favorite early on, as well as more highly regarded recruits such as Masengo Kabongo and Reggie Ellis, both of whom would seem to be longshots at this point.
Crit to the NBA
Javaris Crittenton of GT announced today that he's staying in the NBA draft and won't be back to Georgia Tech for his sophomore season. It's a blow to GT, as they'd be a strong favorite to finish in 2nd in the ACC next year with Crittenton in the lineup. Now with the possibility of SF Thad Young also staying in the draft, Tech could be headed for another Paul Hewitt 8-8 type season, even with the ACC looking to be down across the board.
The bright side is that the team will get back SG Lewis Clinch, plus they bring in another highly regarded recruit in big man Gani Lawal. The Jackets will still be competitive in the league, but the outlook took a hit today.
Crittenton is the third ACC player to officially leave early along with Josh McRoberts and Brandan Wright. With Sean Singletary withdrawing his name and electing to return to Virginia for his senior season (a huge relief for the Cavs), James Mays and Thad Young are the only remaining ACC underclassmen in the draft who have declared but have not yet hired an agent.
The bright side is that the team will get back SG Lewis Clinch, plus they bring in another highly regarded recruit in big man Gani Lawal. The Jackets will still be competitive in the league, but the outlook took a hit today.
Crittenton is the third ACC player to officially leave early along with Josh McRoberts and Brandan Wright. With Sean Singletary withdrawing his name and electing to return to Virginia for his senior season (a huge relief for the Cavs), James Mays and Thad Young are the only remaining ACC underclassmen in the draft who have declared but have not yet hired an agent.
Recruiting!
With the book closed on the 2006-2007 season and Midnight Madness still 4+ months away, the only thing for college basketball junkies to focus on is recruiting. With the Terps having signed a combined 10 players in the '06 and '07 classes, space and scholarships are limirted for the next two seasons. The team will have as many as three scholarships available for use on recruits in the '08 senior class, with at least two available for the high school class of '09.
It's still somewhat early with the summer AAU season just heating up, but at least for 2008 prospects, several Terp targets have emerged to the forefront.
Brian Walsh (SG, Moon HS) - Walsh is a traditional shooting guard whose main skill is that he can score and shoot from deep. While the Terps have some guard depth over the next few years with sophs Greivis Vasquez and Eric Hayes, as well as incoming freshmen Cliff Tucker and Adrian Bowie, the one thing lacking from a potentially excellent backcort is a player who can shoot it from deep consistently. Eric Hayes showed glimpses of that ability, shooting at an excellent percentage last year, but he did not show a great ability to create his own shots from deep nor an assertiveness to shoot except when open. These defeciencies can be corrected, but it's obvious why the Gary Williams would want his next guard recruit to be able to stroke it from deep, even though the Maryland offense traditionally does not revolve around the 3-ball at all.
Anyway, back to Walsh. The Western Pennsylvania player has a ton of scholarship offers from major programs (West Virginia, St. Joseph's, Pitt, Penn State, Memphis, and Clemson among others), but he seems to be favoring the Terps with Xavier and perhaps St. Joseph's also in contention.
Quintrell Thomas (PF, Saint Patrick's HS) - The story on Thomas is that he's a banger. He's only 6-7 or 6-8 so he might be a little undersized at the four, but any questions about that should be silenced by his desire to play near the basket.
From that angle, he seems like a good fit for the Terps, similar to '07 recruit Braxton Dupree. The possibility of Thomas and Dupree teaming up in thr frountcourt is enticing because of the willingness both have shown to play with their back to the basket rather than playing facing the basket like most of the recent Terps who played the 4 and 5 (Garrison, Ibekwe, Gist). These two could, in principle at least,. complement raw atheltic big men like Jerome Burney and '07 recruit Shane Walker as well as '07 recruit Dino Gregory, who is not the prototypical banger that Thomas and Dupree are.
The top three for Thomas are Rutgers, Marquette and Maryland, and Thomas seems certain that his choice will come from among those three. He has just recently emerged nationally, so there are a lot of new suitors although he already holds a number of scholarhip offers including ones from Pitt, Seton Hall, Miami, and Saint John's. But the Terps were among the first to heavily recruit Thomas, so that would seem to give them as good a chance as any. Thomas plays for Team New Jersey Elite on the AAU circuit.
Sean Mosley (SG, Saint Frances HS) - The Terps have been heavily recruiting local players over the past few seasons, but Mosley is the first local name to appear on this list. He's a good one though, having been a standout for Saint Frances in Baltimore dating back to his freshman season when he made the Baltimore Sun All-Metro first team and was named BCL Tournament MVP.
Although he doesn't stand out for any one skill, he is impressive because he doesn't have any glaring weaknesses. He's big and athletic, can shoot it from deep and midrange and is tremendous at getting to the hoop. He recently had a very strong performance at the Boo Williams AAU tournament in April, earning all-Tournament honors.
Things don't look as great here for the Terps as they do for the first two. There are questions about possible grade/qualifying issues (though that is definately speculation), and he plays for the Team Melo AAU team - not exactly the Terps best friend on the AAU circuit. Mosley's shoices at this point include Syracuse, Maryland, Clemson, Virginia Tech, Virginia and Florida State. It also seems that Mosley is not likely to make a decision in the near future, whereas Brian Walsh could decide within the next month. Given all of that, the Terps seem to be focusing somewha on Walsh as the priority recruit. If Walsh chooses the Terps soon, there most likely would not be room for Mosley.
Frank Ben-Eze (C, Bishop O'Connell HS) - Ben-Eze - who plays for the DC Blue Devils AAU team - is another big man prospect for the Terps. The Nigerian import plays in the ultra-competitive WCAC and has held his own despite being relatively new to the game. While his heritage and the fact that he is relatively inexperienced might draw comparisons to former Terp standout center Obinna Ekezie, Ben-Eze is much more slender and not as powerful as Ekezie.
Ben-Eze is in the mold of many other raw, African-born players, in that his skills are extremely raw, as is his feel for the game, but his physical gifts, noticeably his athleticism, are what gets him noticed by college coaches. He has a long way to go in improving his skills, but the old saying is that you can't teach height, and Ben-Eze has plenty of that. With the Terps already bringing in a raw foreign born player in '07 in Shane Walker, as well as Jerome Burney the year before, Ben-Eze might not be high on the Terps' list, especially after a poor game in January in front of Gary Williams and Chuck Driesell. Still, with few frontcourt recruits on the radar right now, Ben-Eze could get a long look in the right situation. Ben-Eze lists Maryland, Clemson, Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech, and Marquette among those who have offered him a scholarship.
Roscoe Davis (PF, Wise HS) - Another local big man on the Terps' radar, Davis is a member of the DC Assault AAU program. He's somewhere between Thomas and Ben-Eze in that he possesses a mixture of skill and athleticism whereas Thomas is short on athleticism but has plenty of skill and toughness, whereas Ben-Eze is highly sought after mainly because of his athleticism rather than his skills at this time.
Davis has possible grade issues and has attended several different high schools, neither of which will make him more likely to end up a Terp. He also may spend a year at a prep school and therefore become a class of '09 recruit. Pitt, Clemson, Miami, Maryland, Syracuse, and Stanford are among the many schools linked to Davis, with Pitt perhaps the most likely of that group to land Davis, although he has not indicated that he is leaning towards any particular school.
There will almost certainly be more prospects to emerge on the radar this summer unless the Terps get two early committments, perhaps from Walsh and Thomas. The Terps have also been linked to Terrence Jennings (C, Mount Zion Christian Academy), Ashton Gibbs (SG, Seton Hall Prep), Mike Davis (C, South Kent Prep/Team STAT) and Laron Dendy (PF, Greer HS). However, for now, this is the group that Terps fans should get to know a little better.
It's still somewhat early with the summer AAU season just heating up, but at least for 2008 prospects, several Terp targets have emerged to the forefront.
Brian Walsh (SG, Moon HS) - Walsh is a traditional shooting guard whose main skill is that he can score and shoot from deep. While the Terps have some guard depth over the next few years with sophs Greivis Vasquez and Eric Hayes, as well as incoming freshmen Cliff Tucker and Adrian Bowie, the one thing lacking from a potentially excellent backcort is a player who can shoot it from deep consistently. Eric Hayes showed glimpses of that ability, shooting at an excellent percentage last year, but he did not show a great ability to create his own shots from deep nor an assertiveness to shoot except when open. These defeciencies can be corrected, but it's obvious why the Gary Williams would want his next guard recruit to be able to stroke it from deep, even though the Maryland offense traditionally does not revolve around the 3-ball at all.
Anyway, back to Walsh. The Western Pennsylvania player has a ton of scholarship offers from major programs (West Virginia, St. Joseph's, Pitt, Penn State, Memphis, and Clemson among others), but he seems to be favoring the Terps with Xavier and perhaps St. Joseph's also in contention.
Quintrell Thomas (PF, Saint Patrick's HS) - The story on Thomas is that he's a banger. He's only 6-7 or 6-8 so he might be a little undersized at the four, but any questions about that should be silenced by his desire to play near the basket.
From that angle, he seems like a good fit for the Terps, similar to '07 recruit Braxton Dupree. The possibility of Thomas and Dupree teaming up in thr frountcourt is enticing because of the willingness both have shown to play with their back to the basket rather than playing facing the basket like most of the recent Terps who played the 4 and 5 (Garrison, Ibekwe, Gist). These two could, in principle at least,. complement raw atheltic big men like Jerome Burney and '07 recruit Shane Walker as well as '07 recruit Dino Gregory, who is not the prototypical banger that Thomas and Dupree are.
The top three for Thomas are Rutgers, Marquette and Maryland, and Thomas seems certain that his choice will come from among those three. He has just recently emerged nationally, so there are a lot of new suitors although he already holds a number of scholarhip offers including ones from Pitt, Seton Hall, Miami, and Saint John's. But the Terps were among the first to heavily recruit Thomas, so that would seem to give them as good a chance as any. Thomas plays for Team New Jersey Elite on the AAU circuit.
Sean Mosley (SG, Saint Frances HS) - The Terps have been heavily recruiting local players over the past few seasons, but Mosley is the first local name to appear on this list. He's a good one though, having been a standout for Saint Frances in Baltimore dating back to his freshman season when he made the Baltimore Sun All-Metro first team and was named BCL Tournament MVP.
Although he doesn't stand out for any one skill, he is impressive because he doesn't have any glaring weaknesses. He's big and athletic, can shoot it from deep and midrange and is tremendous at getting to the hoop. He recently had a very strong performance at the Boo Williams AAU tournament in April, earning all-Tournament honors.
Things don't look as great here for the Terps as they do for the first two. There are questions about possible grade/qualifying issues (though that is definately speculation), and he plays for the Team Melo AAU team - not exactly the Terps best friend on the AAU circuit. Mosley's shoices at this point include Syracuse, Maryland, Clemson, Virginia Tech, Virginia and Florida State. It also seems that Mosley is not likely to make a decision in the near future, whereas Brian Walsh could decide within the next month. Given all of that, the Terps seem to be focusing somewha on Walsh as the priority recruit. If Walsh chooses the Terps soon, there most likely would not be room for Mosley.
Frank Ben-Eze (C, Bishop O'Connell HS) - Ben-Eze - who plays for the DC Blue Devils AAU team - is another big man prospect for the Terps. The Nigerian import plays in the ultra-competitive WCAC and has held his own despite being relatively new to the game. While his heritage and the fact that he is relatively inexperienced might draw comparisons to former Terp standout center Obinna Ekezie, Ben-Eze is much more slender and not as powerful as Ekezie.
Ben-Eze is in the mold of many other raw, African-born players, in that his skills are extremely raw, as is his feel for the game, but his physical gifts, noticeably his athleticism, are what gets him noticed by college coaches. He has a long way to go in improving his skills, but the old saying is that you can't teach height, and Ben-Eze has plenty of that. With the Terps already bringing in a raw foreign born player in '07 in Shane Walker, as well as Jerome Burney the year before, Ben-Eze might not be high on the Terps' list, especially after a poor game in January in front of Gary Williams and Chuck Driesell. Still, with few frontcourt recruits on the radar right now, Ben-Eze could get a long look in the right situation. Ben-Eze lists Maryland, Clemson, Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech, and Marquette among those who have offered him a scholarship.
Roscoe Davis (PF, Wise HS) - Another local big man on the Terps' radar, Davis is a member of the DC Assault AAU program. He's somewhere between Thomas and Ben-Eze in that he possesses a mixture of skill and athleticism whereas Thomas is short on athleticism but has plenty of skill and toughness, whereas Ben-Eze is highly sought after mainly because of his athleticism rather than his skills at this time.
Davis has possible grade issues and has attended several different high schools, neither of which will make him more likely to end up a Terp. He also may spend a year at a prep school and therefore become a class of '09 recruit. Pitt, Clemson, Miami, Maryland, Syracuse, and Stanford are among the many schools linked to Davis, with Pitt perhaps the most likely of that group to land Davis, although he has not indicated that he is leaning towards any particular school.
There will almost certainly be more prospects to emerge on the radar this summer unless the Terps get two early committments, perhaps from Walsh and Thomas. The Terps have also been linked to Terrence Jennings (C, Mount Zion Christian Academy), Ashton Gibbs (SG, Seton Hall Prep), Mike Davis (C, South Kent Prep/Team STAT) and Laron Dendy (PF, Greer HS). However, for now, this is the group that Terps fans should get to know a little better.
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